Friendship Is Magic: Prime: Act II
by Darkryt Orbinautz
Summary: The Decepticons return to Earth with an uninvited guest! The newcomer assures the Autobots he's just here to have fun, but the 'Bots will quickly find that this newcomer prefers to laugh AT people, rather then with them...
1. Swarm Of The Century

**Disclaimer: Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work intended for entertainment and speculative purpose only.**

**Friendship Is Magic: Prime **

**by Darkryt Orbinautz**

**Act II  
**

**Chapter 1**

** Swarm Of The Century**

* * *

_Previously, on 'Friendship Is Magic: Prime':_

_Twilight Sparkle was captured by the Decepticons and used to bargain Celestia's throne to Megatron's possession in exchange for Twilight's life, who developed an addiction to Energon while in captivity. With Megatron in power, the seal on Discord's stone prison weakened and the Spirit of Disharmony was let loose. After some complications and much difficulty, Twilight's friends managed to rescue Twilight from the Decepticons...and her addiction. Twilight Sparkle and company succeeded in banishing Megatron from Equestria, and the Decepticons returned to Earth...unknowingly taking Discord along with them._

* * *

The spiky, forward-swept flying fortress of the starship that housed the Decepticons known as the _Nemesis_ hovered itself into Earth's outermost atmosphere.

"Reaching descent range." called a piloting Vehicon, one of the Decepticon's mass-produced drones who walked a little blurry on that line that separated drones from 'real people'.

The Vehicon turned towards his master, the imposing Lord Megatron. Who nodded, giving the Vehicon the 'OK' to start the _Nemesis' _path into the Earth.

Discord, the Draconequus sitting atop the _Nemesis_' struggled to maintain his grip on the large starship's outside as it tilted sideways from it's gravitational position. The engines on the ship's back roared as blue fire was let loose from them, propelling the ship down into the planet below.

The ship began to build up heat and momentum, an aura of red energy surrounding it as pierced Earth's atmosphere and entered it's blue sky. Discord magicked up a bubble to protect him from the ferocious flame.

Once the ship had righted itself and quit rocking, he slithered on it's top until he found an area less reinforced then the others. Brandishing his eagle talon, he cut through the weak spot and squeezed inside the Decepticon ship. It was just as purple on the inside as it was outside, though with pinkish lights. He turned and whipped around, looking for something that he might able to cause trouble by messing it up.

Before he could find such a thing, however an all-too-familiar claw clamped down on his chest with enough force to knock the wind out of him. He curled his long neck to see that a thin, blue triangular Decepticon with a tentacle reaching out of it's back. Discord stroked his beard in thought, trying to recall the it's name. "...Soundwave, right?"

Soundwave ignored his questioning and walked out the room with the Draconequus in hand...well, claw. Ultimately, Soundwave carelessly tossed Discord in front of him and landed the Spirit before Megatron's feet.

"You...you snuck on my ship?" Megatron snarled, clenching his fists. "I don't whether to call you brave...or foolish."

"I prefer the term 'unpredictable'" Discord replied.

Megatron narrowed his eyes. "You used to rule Equestria, didn't you? Why would you stow away on my ship, the farthest away you could be from that land, when you could be reclaiming your throne from the _beautiful _Princess Celestia?"

Discord grimaced at the way Megatron was just rubbing it in. "You have no room to talk; You took over Equestria too...and lost the crown...to Celestia, Remember?"

Megatron laughed, "Ahahhaaa... True. True. But I underestimated her _and _her precious student. Were I to return there, Celestia's white coat would quickly turn pink."

Discord looked at Megatron and scratched his head. "...Pink?"

"Celestia's coat is white. Blood is red. White, plus red, equals pink...but enough about that. What _are _you doing on my ship?"

By now, enough of Discord's breath had returned to him that he could managed to float aloft in the air. "Simple, my dear Megatron! I thought following you around for a while would have a unique new brand of _fun_."

Megatron growled and snapped his fingers. A green circle appeared from nowhere- a GroundBridge, used for fast-as-light travel within a single world's radius. Soundwave came up behind Discord and punted him through the portal.

"Well, that takes care of that." Megatron remarked. "I'm not too sure what that failed child's toy could possibly do here on Earth, but I have doubts it would be much of concern..."

* * *

Discord's flung body crashed on to the side of a stray boulder before falling to the ground. He groggily stumbled to his feet, only to be scared witless by a extremely clap of thunder. He looked up to see greyish clouds slowly coming together to blanket the sky. Something it about unnerved him...back on Equestria, the weather was controlled by pegasi magic (or his) but this storm seemed to active on it's own...like no magic was triggering it.

He shuddered as he considered if the weather wasn't manually activated, what other similarities did this place have with the Everfree Forest? Ursa Majors? Manticores? Plants that snapped and lashed at perceived intruders?

He looked the environment he was in; Sand, red to reddish-orange rocks and cacti. A desert.

...an empty desert. How was he supposed to have fun while alone? He started his journey to find life, taking a step forward and stubbing his hoof against a rock.

"Ow, ow ow ow!"

Taking in a deep breath, he continued, eventually coming across a cave entrance. There was light shining out of it...light that was quickly going across the walls as it sped out!

Narrowly avoiding the yellow car (A Decepticon, maybe?) that bolted out, he wondered whether or not to go inside and explore the cave.

The explosion and burst of fire bellowing out of it shortly after dissuaded him from that thought.

He resigned to keep looking, trekking through the desert heat until he eventually found a lizard sitting on a rock. He attempted to make conversation with it, curling himself around the rock and looking the lizard in the face.

"Hey there, little guy! What's up?"

The lizard remained motionless, making no attempt to respond to Discord's question.

"Excuse me," Discord growled, reaching out his lion paw to grab the rude reptile, "I asked you a question-WHOA!"

The lizard hissed at Discord's appendage and flared out a menacing frill around it's neck, startling the Draconequus long enough for it to make a clean get away.

"Hmph. Some ponies are just so rude." Discord mumbled to himself and preceded walking. Water was suddenly dripping down his horn and antler. The clouds had started raining. He signed and supposed he should go look for shelter, just in case the storm proved intense...

Oooooorrr he could fly up and use his magic on them, changing them to whatever he would've liked.

He spread his wings and took to the sky, only for irony to kick in.

As if Mother Nature could read his thoughts, his conscious began to slip from him when a lightning bolt struck the tallest object...which was him. His singed body fell back to the ground, unresponsive, but still breathing...barely.

* * *

The yellow car sped down the windy desert road, confident in the completion of his mission to destroy a Decepticon project. See, this yellow car wasn't a normal car: It was the Autobot Bumblebee. The Autobots being a special task force dedicated to the defense of innocents, _generally _by beating the Decepticons up and forcing them to retreat, but not always.

Bumblebee being the yellow car that served as their scout and espionage unit they sent when dealing with tricky, timing missons, the fact he was the smallest of their ranks only helping him in that regard...

OK, Arcee, the blue motorcycle was the smallest, but that's what she gets for choosing a _motorcycle _as her altmode.

There was a click from Bumblebee's internal radio.

"_Bumblebee!_" Ratchet, the Autobot's medic yelled through his communication device. "_Was your mission a success?_"

A_ Beep-Beep _was Bumblebee's response.

"_Excellent! Now, we have another misson for you..._"

Bumblebee let out a curious _wheee-oop_ at this. After blowing up a Decepticon super-weapon clearly meant to be a secret, what else could Ratchet need him to do?

"_Could you pick up the kids?_"

* * *

The town of Jasper, where humans lived and reigned!...well, lived, at any rate. Somewhere amidst it's streets, the bell rang from a building rang, signaling that teaching hours were over.

A twelve-year-old boy with pointy brown and glasses was joined in his walk towards the sidewalk by a 16-year old boy with scruffy black hair and a fourteen-year old girl with black hair dyed only partially pink and done up in pigtails. Raf, Jack and Miko, a trio of humans who had this one thing in common, if nothing else; They knew about the Autobots and their seemingly eternal war with the Decepticons, something both sides were eager to keep a secret from their the fleshies dwelling on the planet they fought for.

Sitting down on the pavement together, Raf pulled out a gaming device while they waited for their Autobot guardians to pick them up.

"So," Miko started, "What awesome adventure do you guys think us and the 'Bots are gonna go on today?"

"Hopefully, nothing!" Jack snapped. Raf remained wrapped in his game,

Another girl came walking up to them "Hey Jack!"

The trio got up to see Sierra, Jack's crush approaching. "What's up?...Oh. I see..." She noticed Miko.

"No no no!" Jack waved his hands frantically, trying to assure the object of his affections, "These are my friends! _Not _my girlfriends...girlfriend and _not _my boyfriend!"

"I should hope not..." Raf muttered under his breath. Miko face-palmed at how badly Jack was tripping over his words.

"Dude! Just ask her to go out with you already!" she exclaimed.

Sierra circled her foot while Jack rubbed his neck, "Well, I think that'd be a...little straight forward." He replied with a nervous smile.

Before Miko could chew Jack out over his 'outdated chivalry', a small yellow car and a bulky green jeep pulled up by the sidewalk.

"Our rides are here." Raf pointed out putting away his handheld game. Raf climbed into the yellow car while Miko jumped inside the jeep. She noticed Jack lingering behind, "Jack, you riding with me or Raf?"

Jack looked at the two cars, "Actually...I think I _will_ ask Sierra out...Sierra?" He turned to the woman in question.

Sierra blushed. "Actually, the reason I came over was because I wanted to go out exploring, and my mom told me to take a partner with me...Y'know, just in case something happened."

"You two go on ahead!" Jack told his friends and took Sierra's hand in his own while they revved up and sped off, "So, where to?"

"I was thinking over by the roads...where you beat Vince in a race?"

"Yeah..." Jack twiddled his fingers, "Sorry about that."

"Don't be! He needed some good old-fashioned humbling."

The two shared a chuckle.

* * *

"All right Bulk!" Miko cheered within Bulkhead's seat, "What are we gonna do today? Mine some Energon? Build a superweapon based on ancient Cybertronian specs? Oh! Or bust some Decepticon heads?"

"I_ will be fetching some supplies for Ratchet: _You_ will be going home and doing...whatever it is you do with your host parents._" Bulkhead's radio beeped out.

"Awww...that's no fun!" Miko whined.

"_It may not be fun, Miko, but it's _safe_._"

"What if I don't wanna be safe?" Miko grumbled, crossing her arms.

"_Then you die. And you can't have much fun if you're dead, now can you?_"

Miko paused and put a finger to her chin, "Yeah, that's true." She dropped the subject.

Bumblebee communicated in his normal tone of electronic noise, but Raf, having spent an extremely long time around computers and their codes in his short lifespan, understood him perfectly.

"_Jack likes that Sierra girl, doesn't he?_"

"Yeah, yeah he does." Raf answered.

"_Why?_"

"It's...well, it's hard to just _explain_...It's a _feeling _he has for her. He wants to get close to her, understand her, comfort her when she's down and just, in general, have a close relationship with her."

"_Like us?_"

Raf laughed, "No, 'Bee, not like you and me. It's...different. Besides, I don't think you'd make a good kisser!"

"_Aw, hey now..._" Bumblebee objected, though he knew Raf's teasing was all in good fun.

"No, no, 'Bee...Kissing requires lips."

"_...You win this round._" Bumblebee growled playfully.

* * *

It was nighttime now, and having long since properly having taken care of their partners, Bulkhead and Bumblebee shared a leisurely walk in their robot modes through the halls of the Autobot base – a converted and re-purposed cold war silo, rebulit and cleaned up to suit the Autobot's needs.

_Wheee-op op eeep._

"Yeah, I'm happy that's working out for you! Why did _I _get the difficult partner?" Bulkhead bemoaned.

_Whooooo-eeeee._

"Figures the biggest 'Bot would get the short straw, right 'Bee?" Bulkhead commented, resting his hand on Bumblebee's shoulder for comfort.

"Bulkhead! Get in here!" Ratchet barked from the main control room. Bulkhead and Bumblebee exchanged looks, and the latter shrugged.

Bulkhead made his way to the control room where Ratchet and Arcee were waiting and rested his hand against a door support, "Whaddya need, Doc-bot? I already got your supplies!"

"Well, it's not supplies I need!" Ratchet snapped, "Optimus went out for a spin, and he thinks he found the Decepticons excavating. Possibly another Iacon artifact. I'm sending you and Arcee to back him up." Ratchet pulled the lever on the side of the control panel, and a GroundBridge portal opened up.

"Let's roll." Arcee quipped, getting up off her seat.

Transforming into their respective vehicle modes, they sped through the portal, landing in a patchwork of roads that was just some distance away from Jasper's city limits. Arcee looked around, "Where's Prime?"

Bulkhead shrugged and did the same, "I don't see him either...Hey, isn't this where Jack and Bumblebee had that street race with Vince?"

"Don't remind me." Arcee snarled.

"Hey!" Bulkhead shouted, pointing off somewhere east of their position where a blue glow was emanating. "Think that's what Prime was worried about?"

"Let's find out."

They rushed over the site, stopping short when they saw, sure enough, a squadron of Vehicon drones, Airachnid, and Breakdown tunneling and shoveling. They saw Optimus, in truck mode, hiding out of the Decepticons over on the other side of the location.

"So that's the plan..." Arcee remarked on noticing her commander's strategic location.

_Meanwhile, some yards north_...

Sierra and Jack walked around in circles, passing a cavern that looked like it had been the victim of an explosion...Jack was unnerved that it looked like an _Autobot_-mandated one. Were they going to ruin his time out with Sierra now? He liked them and all, but he would've like something unaffected by them for a least one day. Was that too much to ask?

"Jack?" Sierra questioned, nudging his arm,

"Huh?" He answered.

"You okay? You stopped by this cave-in and started staring into space..." Sierra explained.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine...just...thinking about something."

"What's something?"

"Eh, nothing."

"Well, 'something' can't be 'nothing', so what is it?"

"Nothing _you_ need to worry about."

"All right, if you say so...Hey, speaking of staring into space, I know a place not too far from here that offers a pretty view of the stars."

"Sounds great!"

Sierra grabbed Jack's hand and started dragging him over to some other collection of rocks and gravel letting go of it before starting her ascent. Jack followed nervously.

"So, uh...Airachnid." Breakdown stammered nervously, intending to chat to the Spider-'Con about his crush on her. "How's...life been for you lately?"

"Mmm, can't complain too much...Soundwave's been leering at me a lot lately, but not much else."

Breakdown 'hmm'ed, and Airachnid cast her gaze at the sky.

"Although..." Airachnid began "I do enjoy being here like this...The night sky, alone with no one but these mindless lugs who can be easily ordered to forget anything I might want them to not know...and above all, no..."

"_Autobots!_"

"What?"

Airachnid whipped around, only for her vision to filled with the grey sphere of Bulkhead's wrist-mace, throwing her to the ground.

"Hey!" Breakdown snarled, converting his arm into an hammer and slightly angered at Bulkhead's untimely interruption, "You're not supposed to hit the ladies!"

"But what if they hit you?" Bulkhead questioned with a curious look.

"What do you mean-" Breakdown was interrupted by Arcee landing an aerial kick to his face, throwing him off balance.

Airachnid got up, eager to beat her old rival, but her arm was clasped by Bulkhead. Bulkhead smirked at Airachnid's stupefied look.

"Arcee and I decided to change dance partners, you know. Mix things up a little."

Bulkhead lifted Airachnid up and hurled her some distance away towards where he and Arcee had entered the area.

As Arcee used her small size to her advantage against Breakdown, rolling between his legs and giving him a well placed punch to the back, Optimus made his move, revving and speeding down the rocks, he began bowling over Vehicons like...bowling...pins.

Airachnid beared down on Bulkhead, rapidly alternating her fists and extra legs, each being blocked by Bulkhead's expert timing. Breakdown attempted to slam Arcee's head with his hammer and succeeded, bringing the Autobot down.

Bulkhead punched Airachnid's face, causing a crack. Airachnid wiped her cheek, then noticed Optimus Prime speeding towards the artifact's container. She transformed to her helicopter alt mode, meaning to intercept, but Bulkhead grabbed her by the rotor-tail and used her as a club on Breakdown, batting him away from Arcee before he could dent her up more.

A Vehicon tore the container from the earth, only for Bulkhead to tackle it down and having them both tumble some distance away from the cover of rocks and stalagmites.

Bulkhead shook his head and saw Jack and Sierra some distance, both looking at him with wide eyes,

"Not good!" He muttered under his breath. He exchanged looks with the Vehicon on top of him and punched it back into the excavation area before following suit.

"Did...you see that?" Sierra asked timidly.

"See what? I didn't see anything. Did you see something?" Jack lied, trying to maintain the Autobot's cover.

Sierra looked at Jack doubtfully. Jack managed to keep together a broad false smile long to convince Sierra he wasn't lying.

"All right...I guess I imagined it." Sierra muttered.

"Hey! What's wrong with that? I hear guys like a girl with a imagination!"

Sierra raised an eyebrow.

"Er, not that...I'm like that...I just...hear people say it!" Jack assured her.

Bulkhead batted Vehicon after Vehicon away, trying to make sure they didn't get to Optimus Prime. He was succesful, but Breakdown recovered and tackled the Prime, knocking the container out of his grasp and to the floor.

Airachnid skittered attempting to retrieve the device, holding it up in triumph, "Ha-ha!"

"The Decepticons have obtained too many artifacts already. Keep it from them at all costs!" Optimus barked.

Arcee shot at Airachnid a few times, missing each one. A GroundBridge portal appeared behind the green Decepticon. She waved sarcastically, "Bye-bye!"

"Bulkhead!" Optimus Barked.

Aiming precisely, Bulkhead shot the container out of Airachnid's hands and destroyed it. She hissed at the loss before being joined by Breakdown and the surviving Vehicons as she retreated into the Bridge portal under fire. One of the stray shots hit a stalagimite, reducing it to a scatter rubble that caused a tremor. The tremor was unfelt by the protected, metal frames of the Autobots, but to the left of their positions, two humans fell off their precarious perches with a shriek.

Once the dust had settled and the two had finished coughing, they began reaching around, trying to find support themselves.

"Wow, Jack...your shirt is really feathery." Sierra commented.  
"_My _shirt? I thought that was your shirt!" Jack yelled.

"Well, if it's not your shirt, and it's not my shirt, then what...is it?" Sierra questioned, standing up and letting out a gasp at the sight she saw.

"What?" Jack asked, though he gasped too when he saw the unconscious, enormous, serpentine, mule-headed creature he and Sierra had landed on the sides of...

* * *

**Author's Notes for _Swarm Of The Century_  
**

**I misspelled 'Miko' as 'Mike' at least once typing this. This seems particularly funny, because in the UK Titan Magazine, Miko's name is misspelled as 'Misha' 'Meeka' and other, but NOT 'Mike'!**

**(As of this writing, at least.)**

**Additionally, I wanted to make the _Transformers: Prime _theme song 'play', but it's entirely instrumental, and I don't know the sheet music...I'm fairly certain FF. Net doesn't support sheet music anyway.**

**While writing that 'white-pink-red' exchange between Discord and Megatron, the fact that Celestia's toy was pink _had completely slipped my mind. _Is that a score _up_ or _down_?**

**_Counters for Act II_**

**_Throwdowns: 2_**

**_'Aw scrap's: 0_**

**_ Tempting Fate: 1  
_**


	2. Over A Barrel

******Disclaimer: Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work intended for entertainment and speculative purpose only.**

**Friendship Is Magic : Prime by Darkryt Orbinautz**

**Act II  
**

**Chapter 2**

** Over A Barrel**

* * *

Sierra rubbed the belly of the creature delicately. "What you do think it is?"

"...I don't know." Jack answered after a moment's hesitance. "I think we should leave and call the authorities."

"No!"

Jack stared at Sierra.

"Let the government take him and put him in some...cage somewhere? What if it can talk? What if it knows something? What if it can _feel?_" Sierra questioned.

Jack shrugged nervously. When he said 'authorities' he meant 'Autobots' whom he knew would treat the... thing right, but he couldn't let Sierra know that.

"Well, let me call my mom at least." Jack said, taking out his cell phone.

"Isn't your mom a nurse?"

"Yeah, exactly!"

"You sure this...thing doesn't need a _vet_?"

Jack signed, "First you don't want to call the authorities, then you don't want me to call my mom...What do you _want _me to do?"

"...OK, Call your mom." Sierra conceded.

After a series of clicks, Jack put the phone to his ear. "Hey, mom?"

"_Jack! Sierra's mother told me you were out with Sierra!_" spoke June, Jack's mother through the phone.

"Well, I was...am. Listen, me and Sierra found a thing and...we think it's hurt. Badly. Like, medical care badly." Jack explained.

"_What kind of thing?_"

Jack took the phone away from his ear and looked the creature's body up and down, noting only the clashing brown and yellow coloration and asymmetry of it's body.

"It's...hard to describe." Jack answered. He lowered himself away from Sierra's earshot, ducking behind his side of the creature. "You know, with Sierra here, I can't call my...'Science Fiction Club'."

'Science Fiction Club' of course, being Jack's and June's euphemism for the Autobots Jack had made friends with.

"..._I'll be right there._" June answered and hung up.

"Right. My mom say's she'll be quick." Jack informed Sierra.

Sierra frowned and rubbed the creature's chest fluff. "Don't worry, boy. Everything's gonna be OK." She put her ear to what she assumed to be it's chest.

After some time, they saw the lights of an ambulance. It stopped and June came out with a bag of medical supplies. "Load..._it_ up into the back. " June ordered.

Working together, they managed to load the animal onto the bed, but only it's top half. The lower half slumped out the open door and down the ramp.

Cramped together inside the room, June started hooking the creature up to health monitors. June observed the creature and shuddered.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Sierra asked with concern.

"Uh...let's just say I know it's a 'he'." June assured her with a wince.

The monitors began beeping and whirring. June walked over and checked their readings.

"He's alive...heart beat steady, but slow. He's been electrocuted. I can keep him alive, but I'll need the big, immobile hospital equipment to _heal_ him." June explained.

"You...you won't send him to a government cage to be studied, will you?" Sierra inquired. June gave her a odd look, only to receive a pleading one in return.

"...I'll do my best to prevent that. Anyways, it's getting late, and the higher ups will want to know where I am."

Jack, June and Sierra, after many failed attempts, they successful coiled the creature up in a bundle on the bed. June drove Sierra home and Jack to their respective homes.

June drove Discord to a backside entrance of the Jasper hospital.

"June! Where you been?" A fellow doctor asked as she rushed to get the stretcher.

"Got an..._unique_ patient. Needs to stay a secret, OK?"

The doctor looked at June suspiciously.

"Look, if I could explain it, I could explain _why _it needs to be a secret." June explained.

"Oooo! Government experiment?" The doctor asked with a laugh.

June put a finger to her chin before deciding playing along would be a good way to proceed while still keeping the creature a secret... "Who told you?" She snapped.

The doctor raised his arms up in surrender. "N-no one! I was joking!" The doctor assured her.

"Well, since you're in on the 'joke', _you_ can put him away until tomorrow when I punch back in!" She yelled, handing him the stretcher and enjoying her false role of 'Under top-secret government orders' a _little_ too much.

* * *

_The next day_...

"Jack!" June called out as Jack prepared to ride Arcee in her bike mode out. "Can you take me to the Autobots? I have an idea regarding that creature we found last night."

Jack put on his helmet and looked expectantly at Arcee's headlight.

"What creature?" The bike-bot answered.

"This...thing Sierra and I found unconscious out by the road last night." Jack explained, "I meant to call you guys, but you know...Sierra!"

"All right, what do you need?" Arcee questioned.

"Ratchet!" June yelled through the halls of the base. The white Autobot in question made his presence known, peeking out of a door. "Yes, Nurse Darby?"

"Jack found a creature that I brought to the hospital. I'm trying to keep a secret from my coworkers, and I was thinking Agent Fowler could help me with that."

Ratchet scratched his chin. "If it warrants calling Fowler, I think that perhaps you ought to run it by us."

"Well, it's big. It's body is mish-matched and asymmetrical, with a goat horn on one side and a deer antler on the other. It has a scaly tail that ends in a plume, and a scaly leg and a faun calve."

Ratchet tilted his head, "Doesn't sound Cybertronian..." As Ratchet started pondering and muttering to himself, Optimus came out the door.

"I heard you talking. This creature...I have read human stories about a mystical beast called a 'chimera' that had a lioness' body, a goat head attached to its back, and a serpent's tail. The term has since been applied to anything that would be consider a mix of two or more creature, but I have read no records of one with that particular description."

"Perhaps the most prudent course of action would be to transport it here for study." Ratchet suggested.

June cast a dubious eyebrow at him. "It went so well the last time you did medic work on a organic?"

Ratchet sneered, "I'll have you know that I've been practicing organic surgery on test dummies! If you didn't want my help, why did you call me?" He huffed and retreated into the room. Optimus Prime watched him go.

"June, I believe Ratchet is more sensitive about the incident with Rafael than you realize. I would ask you refrain from mentioning it." Optimus requested politely.

June put a hand to her head, "I'm...sorry, it's just...the kids, being with you like this...It makes a mother worry."

Optimus closed his eyes and nodded, "Understood. Nevertheless, I would hope you'd honor my request. You said you wanted Agent Fowler for something?"

* * *

June and the overweight black male dressed in a government suit known as Agent Fowler made their through the hospital halls to where the creature had been hidden. Upon arrival, Fowler gasped at it.

"Whoo! Well...I can see why you'd want to keep a secret." The Agent remarked.

"All right, you guard the door. I'll get to work on fixing it." June ordered. Fowler seemed rather OK with being the one given orders, considering how he was _pretending _for something to be a government secret in order to keep a secret from the government, which probably would get him in big trouble if his employer find out. He did leer at June a bit though.

"Are you..._sure _you _should _be fixing it?"

June looked at him angrily, "Maybe, maybe not. But I'm a nurse, and that I means I have to protect life."

Fowler shrugged, "If you're sure..." he exited the room, leaving the door slightly ajar in case of the need to communicate.

* * *

Optimus and Bulkhead observed as Ratchet brutally cut up one of the aforementioned practice dummies with his arm blade.

"Eh...Doc-bot, you all right? I seen you 'perform' on these things before, but you seem like you're just hacking at it now." Bulkhead asked with a concerned figure gesture.

"Fine, fine...Just...frustrated, is all." The medic assured them. He converted his blade-arm back to a normal hand, (Well, normal for Autobots.) and went over to the main computer. "Perhaps some amusing events on the monitor will cool my engine block..."

The Autobots were mostly silent while Ratchet worked.

"That's strange..."

"What? What is it?" Bulkhead snapped.

"I'm detecting a very strong signal from concentrated Energon, almost like a...bomb."

"The Decepticons?" Optimus asked.

"Seems likely, but why would they use so much Energon? Unless..." Ratchet speculated.

"They found a way to make sure it payed off! Probably found a huge deposit of Energon they intend to blow!" Bulkhead added with a bang of fists.

Ratchet turned to Optimus, who nodded.

"Autobots... _Roll out_!"

* * *

Megatron pushed the communications button on the _Nemesis' _main control panel. "Knock Out! Have the Autobots arrived?"

"_Ehh, not yet, Lord Megatron, but rest assured, when they do, they'll have a very _warm _welcome._"

Megatron cut off the contact.

"Lord Megatron..." Airachnid approached warily, skittering down the control bridge slowly. Megatron turned to show she had his attention.

"I was recently informed that an Equestrian snuck aboard on ship...Discord, was it?"

"I'm sorry, Airachnid. Is this particular kind of information something you feel you should be kept informed of?"

Airachnid shook her head, "No. No...But, a strange thought occurred to me. Discord is the Equestrian Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, yes?"

"Yes." Megatron answered with boredom.

"And you...you have Dark Energon, the crystallized and fossilized Blood of Unicron embedded in your Spark, yes?"

"Yes." Megatron repeated.

"Unicron...the _Chaos-_bringer."

"...Yeeeeeesss." Megatron drawled. "Are you implying something, Airachnid?"

"That maybe Discord's stowing away isn't a mere coincidence." Airachnid explained with a jerk of her head.

Megatron grunted. "An amusing theory, Airachnid... but not one I will be pursuing."

Airachnid bowed. "All right, then...I think you're missing a valuable opportunity, however."

* * *

Knock Out and Soundwave adjusted a device of moderate size within a the epicenter of a crater's lower half.

"Hmmm...Poor Autobots, ready to fall into a trap like this! At least they can take solace in the face they gave us the large supply of Energon buried here with their last breaths."

Soundwave leered.

"Yes, yes, I know we don't 'breathe'!"

ROOOOOOM!

"Ahh! The guests of honor have arrived!" Knock Out observed before transforming and driving off.

Optimus Prime, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee drove off the crater's edge and transformed as they landed in the bottom half, where Soundwave was waiting.

"Soundwave? Here? Alone?" Bulkhead questioned.

"Be cautious. It is quite likely that this is a trap." Optimus advised.

Bumblebee noticed Knock Out driving away and converted to vehicle mode to speed after him.

Bulkhead charged at Soundwave with a raised mace which Soundwave's tentacle caught mid-throw. The tentacle shook Bulkhead's arm a bit before batting him aside. More tentacles spouted out of Soundwave's back and supported the Decepticon, suspending him in the air. Spare tentacles not supporting the 'Con rose up and started striking Bulkhead and Prime both.

Knock Out transformed back into robot mode and leapt onto the crater's 'walls', unknowingly with Bumblebee behind, having followed suit.

"_Urg! Huk! Gyaah!_" Optimus yelped, using his blades to defend himself from Soundwave's assault. In a moment's brief reprieve, Optimus could look on to see Soundwave's unique fighting pose.

Bulkhead had to defend himself extra hard now, at the tentacles that had targeting Optimus had now joined the ones attacking him. Soundwave pressed his advantage, walking on his tentacle supports like insect legs...until a well-place shot from Optimus' Ion Blaster cut them all down, sending the Decepticon crashing. Bulkhead prepped his mace again and began running, intending to bring the metal sphere in on Soundwave's vital organs. The blue Decepticon recovered and back flipped himself upright , sending Bulkhead's mace to pound on empty dirt. Soundwave jumped and transformed to his vehicle mode, jetting off to leave the Autobots to their fate.

"Come back here and fight, scaredy-cat!" Bulkhead shouted. Optimus brought his attention to the ledge of the crater.

"Wish the whole gang was here, but oh well!" Knock Out lamented, "It's been fun!" He reached to get the bomb's remote detonator...which he didn't have on him. Did Soundwave take it?

Knock Out felt someone tapping his shoulder and turned to see Bumblebee, who had somehow swiped the remote from him. Bumblebee proceeded to punch him in the face, sending tumbling down the 'wall' and back into the crater's bottom, the impact leaving him unconscious.

"Excellent work, Bumblebee!" Optimus shouted. The scout scraped his foot and waved his hand in an 'awww, shucks...' manner._ Beeeep!_

"We should be able to defuse the bomb safely..." Optimus remarked, examining the device.

Bumblebee slid back down and looked at Bulkhead.

"You know...there's not a human for miles...the crater is about the bomb's range...and there's lots of Energon buried here." Bulkhead elaborated.

Optimus 'hmm'ed.

Aboard the _Nemesis_, Megatron reprimanded Knock Out for botching up the trap and giving the Autobots such a huge stock of Energon by tearing off his head fin.

* * *

A nurse walked in the hospital halls, clipboard in hand, stopping suddenly when she saw a black man guarding a room.

"Um, excuse me, sir?..Visiting hours haven't arrived yet." She attempted to inform him.

The black man reached into his shirt's pocket and pulled out a badge. "Special Agent William Fowler. I'm here guarding this room, the patient of which is a _person of interest._" He told her.

The nurse mumbled 'OK' and resumed her walk.

Within the room, June took a wipe to the last burned spot of the creature, finally making it clean. She pouted at it, as it had showed no change in condition.

_Beep...beep...beep. Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep._

June gasped and opened the door, motioning Fowler to come in. "His heart rate is increasing!"

"That's good, right?" The agent inquired.

The creature groaned, earning an excited squee from June. It raised a talon to its snout and yawned. Slowly, it opened its eyes, revealing them to be bright yellow with red irises.

"Oh...hello. Who-" It yawned again, "Who are you ponies?"

"Ponies? We're humans! People!" Fowler barked.

"This is Special Agent William Fowler." June said, holding the agent back before he could agitate the patient. "And I'm Nurse June Darby. My son, Jack and his friend Sierra found you on the side of the road, barely alive. We brought you here and nursed you back to health." She smiled warmly. "What's your name?"

The creature blinked, put a paw to it's muzzle, and observed June before smirking haughtily and answering.

"I'm Discord."

* * *

**Soundwave was totally going all 'Doctor Octopus' on Bulk' and Prime in the crater.**

**This chapter may or may not be guilty of using the subplot with the bomb as 'filler' or 'padding' as some know it. *Shifty eyes*. **

_**Counters for Act II.**_

_**Throwdowns: 2**_

_**'Aw scraps' : 1  
**_

_**Tempting Fate : 2  
**_


	3. A Dog And A Pony Show

******Disclaimer: Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work intended for entertainment and speculative purpose only.**.

**Friendship Is Magic: Prime by Darkryt Orbinautz**

**Act 2  
**

**Chapter 3: A Dog And A Pony Show  
**

* * *

"So, uh...Discord." June began, "What are you?"

"A Draconequus."

"OK...Let's pretend I know what that is and move on to the next question. How did you end up unconscious and electrocuted on the side of a road?"

"Started flying-" He rose up off the bed partially and flapped his wings to demonstrate. "Got hit by a lightning bolt."

"Really? Wow, Draconequui must be sturdy creatures if you can survive being dead-on by a lightning bolt!" June exclaimed. Discord chuckled at the admiration and preceded to drag himself off the bed the rest of the way, banging his head on the ceiling in the process. He rubbed it a little before adjusting himself to compensate for the building's size.

"So, who's up for some games?" He asked jovially walking towards the door, only to be stopped by Fowler.

"Whoa whoa whoa buddy! You can't go out there!"

"Well, why not?" Discord asked confused.

"A big, feathery, donkey-headed Draco-something-or-other walking around? That'll be sure to make everyone _panic_!"

Discord scoffed and swept Fowler and June up into his arms.

"_Tender dumplings every-where, life's no fun without a good scare!_"

June and Fowler exchange worried looks.

"Uh, perhaps you could go _outside _of town and 'scare' the local wildlife while we figure what to do with you?"

Discord dropped them both. "What do you mean 'do with me'?"

"Redirect... _Panic! _Mass hysteria? Any of this ring a bell?" Fowler snarked.

"All right, all right." Discord waved his claws, seemingly giving in to Fowler's concerns. "I'll go scare the wildlife while I try to think of how to..._ease _myself into the public eye."

Snapping his talon, Discord disappeared in a flash of light.

"That was...interesting." June observed.

* * *

"Hey Ratchet! Where's 'Bee?" Raf asked walking into the room, raising his arms to shield himself from the practice doll's scattered fluff.

"Sorry about that." The medic apologized, not taking his eyes of the doll that he had resumed cutting up indiscriminately. "Bumblebee went out on a mission with Bulkhead and Optimus. I'll let you know when they get back."

Raf frowned. Arcee and Jack were out for a ride, so now he didn't have anyone to play his game with...unless...

"You wanna play a game with me?"

Ratchet look at Raf bewildered, "A game?"

"Yeah," Raf replied, taking out a cartridge from his backpack "_Excitecar_?"

Ratchet shook his head disapprovingly, "No no no...Races are primordial tests of _speed_. As a medic, speed is of little merit to me." he said this like an ancient warrior challenged to honorable combat.

Raf raised his eyebrows. "...I think Earthlings take races differently then Cybertronians do."

Raf climbed a stairway to the platform where the gaming system was set up, inserted the cartridge, and booted up the system, signing at the fact he'd have to play alone. Thankfully, it was at this moment the roar of engines could be heard and the Autobots Ratchet had named off returned to the base.

"Sure was nice of the 'Cons to give us all that Energon like that." Bulkhead joked with a smile as he transformed. Bumblebee and Optimus followed suit, the former giving the green robot a high five.

"Hey 'Bee! Wanna race?" Raf mock-challenged.

Bumblebee looked at Optimus.

"Go ahead, Bumblebee."

Bumblebee let out a enthused _deeeet_ and rushed over to join his human partner.

Optimus walked over to the side of the platform to observe the T.V. Screen as the yellow Autobot and child played. The game's sound effects filled the air.

Optimus noticed the smile plastered on Raf's face, even as he lost the game's match to Bumblebee.

"You enjoy playing this with Bumblebee, don't you?"

"Yeah," Raf answered while setting the game up for another round. "It's like one of those things you can enjoy, no matter who -or what- you are."

"Hmmm..." Optimus commented, curious as to how Raf won the second round just now.

"_PRIME_!" rang Agent Fowler's trademark yell over the video communications window on the control computer's screen.

THUD.

Everyone looked at Ratchet, who had taken a hammer to the remains of his doll. The medic scraped his foot. "...Sorry. Still upset. Continue, Agent Fowler."

"_What in the White House is going on here_?"

"What do you mean, Agent Fowler?" Optimus questioned.

"_I mean, I've just verified and confirmed reports of the sky, raining brown holy cow juice just a few miles away from town_!"

"...Cow juice?" Bulkhead asked.

"Milk." Raf explained, "Cause, y'know...milk is produced by cows."

"Raining...cow juice? The 'Cons musta made a weather machine!" Bulkhead snapped.

"I doubt that, Bulkhead. I feel if Megatron had commissioned such a device, he would be using for far more destructive purposes." Optimus Prime dismissed.

"Unless..." Ratchet put a finger to his chin, "This is merely a test run."

Optimus grimaced. "An excellent point. Prepare a device we can use to lure the Decepticons out to interrogate them on the machine's whereabouts and prepare to roll out."

* * *

Jack adjusted himself on Arcee's seat, eager to feel the wind on his face.

"So Arcee, anything intresting happen with you and the 'Bots lately?" Jack asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"_Not much. You_?" The bike responded.

"Uh, well...Hey...are those cacti dancing?" Jack asked, pointing towards a patch of spiny plants with sunglasses and sombreos perched on their tops shaking wildly. Something wet fell on top Jack's head.

"Rain?" He saw a liquid fall in front of him and raised a hand to keep it off Arcee. He sniffed the finger the raindrop landed and with hesitance, licked it.

"...Chocolate milk rain! What are the 'Cons up to?" Jack exclaimed.

"_You sure it's the 'Cons, Jack? Seems more like MECH's alley to me._"

"Well, maybe you can ask them!" Jack shouted pointing at Megatron's jet mode hovering overhead.

"_Scrap!_"

Megatron noticed the Autobot driving down the road and prepared a shot from his mighty Fusion Cannon. "I go out for a relaxing flight, and instead I get Autobots and dancing cacti!"

Arcee hit her breaks and Jack braced for impact.

A GroundBridge portal opened behind them, and the truck mode of Optimus Prime jumped out of it and over Arcee, taking the shot direct to his grill.

"Arcee!" Optimus Prime barked, transforming to robot mode and converted his hand to a blade. "Get Jack to safety!"

"_All right, sport, come on!_" Arcee ordered Jack, speeding backwards into the Bridge.

"Don't have tell me twice..." Jack muttered.

Optimus Prime watched them go before turning to face Megatron.

"_Optimus Prime..._" Megatron sneered, crashing his feet into the road, cracking the pavement. Unsheathing his sword, Megatron lunged, sparks emitting from the two Leader's blades as they clanged against each other.

"Megatron, what do you have to gain by altering the ecosystem like this?"

"Huh?" Megatron grunted, Optimus Prime punching his face and forcing him back. Megatron fired his Cannon again, which Optimus expertly dodged.

"Hrrn!" Megatron snarled and back flipped himself away to put some distance between. They exchanged blaster fire before the ground they were standing on started shaking. The ground tore itself away and floated up, creating a floauting isle.

Megatron and Optimus Prime looked over the change in their battleground, then charged at each other with their swords again. _Ting-clong-tink!_

Megatron took his bladeless arm and pounded Optimus' face with his power gauntlet, Optimus shook his head and punched Megatron's face in retaliation, giving the Decepticon another direct punch into the side of his head to boot.

Speaking of boots, Optimus turned around and lifted his leg into Megatron's chest, giving the Decepticon Leader a good buck. Megatron stumbled to the edge of the floating turf. Optimus seized the oppurtunity and grabbed Megatron by the throat, earning a 'Hyeeurk!' from him.

Optimus brandished his fist. "Answer me, Megatron! What is the purpose of the chocolate rain?"

Megatron's pointed eyebrows rose. "Chocolate...rain?..AH-HA-HA-HA! You...you think the chocolate rain is _my _doing?"

Optimus launched the brandished fist into Megatron's face. "If not yours, then whose is it?"

Megatron leered. "Discord's."

"And just _who_ is Discord?"

"A Draconequus. A creature I...accidentally brought back to Earth with me after going on a little...expedition. This...chocolate rain is something of his trademark. You want to stop it, Prime?"

The Autobot Leader leered.

"Then _find Discord_!"

Optimus Prime huffed and let go of Megatron, who transformed and rocketed off.

Optimus stood on the edge and looked over the pink clouds the chocolate rain fell from. He raised his arm to defend his eyes from a flash of lightning. When the plasma had passed, the ground beneath the floating turf had turned from brown-red and rocky to lumpy and colored like pink and blue checkerboards.

"_Optimus!_" Ratchet's concerned voice shouted through the radio. "_I'm detecting heavy geological disruptions in your position. Are you all right?_"

"Fine, Ratchet. But I've uncovered unnerving news. Apparently, Megatron is not to blame for our recent weather developments, but a non-Cybertronian being called 'Discord' is."

Optimus leapt off the floating turf, transforming to truck mode in descent. Revving, he did best to navigate the checkerboarded ground. He was sent skidding out of control by a lightning strike that very nearly struck him. The fact lightning struck so close the ground unnerved him, as lightning was supposed to strike the tallest object, which he and the nearby ground wasn't at the moment. He resolved to find Discord and put a stop to this before someone innocent was hurt.

* * *

The Autobots and humans gathered around the control room.

"Draconequus?" Raf inquried.

"That's what the Boss-bot said!" Miko assured him.

Optimus turned to Raf. "You know something of it, Rafael?".

"Well, maybe...The words 'Dragon' and 'Equine' derive from the Latin 'Draco' and ' Equus'." Raf answered.

"Sooo..." Miko drawled, "We're looking for some sort of...horse-dragon?"

"How? Dragons are a myth!...Aren't they?" Jack looked skeptically at the Autobots.

"Well...A planet's wildlife _coincidentally _bearing the same description as anothers myths is not unheard of." Ratchet explained. He turned to Optimus. "Did Megatron say where the Dracoequus was from?"

Optimus signed and nodded. "No...perhaps I should have asked."

"Well, whatever it is, we need to find it before the sitchuation gets even more out of hand!" Arcee exclaimed with a fist-pump gesture.

"Agreed, Arcee. Unfortunately, Megatron gave no hints as to how ascertain Discord's whereabouts." Optimus Prime agreed.

_Meanwhile_...

June stepped out the hospital doors for lunch, her shot making a _sploogh _sort of noise as squished agaisnt the pavement. She closed her eyes. "What did I just step in?"

"Well," replied a doctor who had been coming to join her, "In my highly educated professional opioin...I would say... 'Fudge'."

"Fudge?" June opened her eyes and looked down to see that the sidewalk tile she was on was indeed, made of a chocolate-brown fudge. But it wasn't just the tile she was on; It was the whole sidewalk! Rain with the consistency and texture of milk began to dribble down her bangs. She looked up to pink clouds that looked like that could they could be strectched and bent like...like cotton candy!

Her attention was caught by a cilivian screaming, and she whipped around to see all the streetlamps had been turned to candy canes with glowing marshmallow peeps speared on their hooks. The source of the distressed scream, on the other hand, was from driver struggling to control his jeep, whose tires had been turned to frog legs.

June growled and tensed her shoulders.

"June?" The co-worker asked concerned.

"I know who's responsible for this..." June anwsered, taking a prideful step forward, only for fudge to splatter against her pants leg.

"...I meant to do that."

"Suuurrre you did." The co-worker quipped.

_Back at Autobot Outpost Omega One..._

"Maybe Megatron's lying, and is controlling Discord?" Bulkhead suggested, trying his best to figure out how they would be able to locate the source of their troubles.

"Perhaps, but Megatron spoke of him with a disdain beyond that of which he gives his lesser troops." Optimus countered.

"Duuuuudes! You're all waaaay overthinking this!" Miko chided, to confused looks. "Look, this Discord dude is a dragon-horse, right? Well, Dragon's kidnap Princesses, and hores eat hay! Just put out both and he'll come right to us!"

"What, you mean like a...Princess of Hay?" Jack questioned, leering at Miko cautiously.

"Yeah!"

"And where we'd...get a princess like that?"

"Oh, pfft! How should I know? I'm not a princess!

Jack smirked and rubbed his chin. "...Or are you?"

Miko back away slightly at what Jack was implying. "Oh no! I am _not _dressing up like a princess girly fru-fru stuff!"

"It...was your idea, Miko." Raf reminded her.

"Hey! Are you on my side, or his?" The girl snapped.

"We're taking sides?"

"I would prefer if you didn't." Optimus Prime interjected.

The kids instantly realized what they had implied and apologized in unison. "Sorry, Optimus."

"Optimus!" snapped June's voice as she stomped into the hall, her clothes stained with chocolate. "I hope you've been giving the Decepticons some stern words about their experiments with the pavement!" She said with her hands at her hips.

"I am afraid I do not know what it is you're referring to, June." Optimus informed her.

"I'm _referring _to the fudge sidewalks and the chocolate milk rain!"

"For your information, Nurse Darby," Ratchet spoke up, "According to Megatron, a alien creature by the name of 'Discord' is responsible for the chocolate rain. And, I'd wager, the other anomalies that have been cropping up."

June's eyes widened. "Did you say...'Discord'?"

"Yes." Ratchet answered, a note of suspicion in his voice. "Why?"

"Because that _might _have been the name the creature Jack and Sierra rescued last night introduced himself as when he woke up."

"WHAT? Are you telling me this is our fault!?" Jack exclaimed with his hands clasped over his head.

June stammered, "I...uh...well..."

"_Oh, no one's blaming you Jack, OR your beauuuutiful mother._"

The Autobots and humans looked over each other while June blushed.

"I didn't say that." Bulkhead defended himself.

"Wasn't me." Miko added.

The Autobots readied their blasters and blades. A flash of white light filed the room. When it had passed, a large, serpentine, yet avian creature was floating high the room, a feathery wing and a leathery one beating to keep it aloft.

"Oh, put those down! No need to get violent." It said with a flick of a eagle paw attached to it.

"I'm glad we share that belief." Optimus remarked, motioning for the Autobots to lower their weapons and walking over to be face-to-face with the creature. "You are Discord?"

"The one and only. Want an autograph?" Discord replied with a trill.

"No thank you." Optimus responded. "However, I am told you control the chocolate rain that has been falling recently."

"Eeeyup." rasped the mule's lips on Discord's snout.

"I presume that would also put you to blame for the other...discrepancies that have been occurring?"

Discord nodded.

"I would beseech you to undo them. People -humans- live in this area and have a very rigid lifestyle which your...changes would disrupt it to terrible effect."

"Oh, _psshaw_!" Discord waved his lion paw dismissively. "It's all in good fun."

"Your 'fun' is _dangerous _and _life-threatening_." Ratchet snarled.

" Oh yeah, that. Been meaning to start selling a safety manual, but I have run into a problem with my publisher."

"Oh?" Ratchet laughed sarcastically, "And what would be that 'problem'?"

"I don't have one! HAHA!" Discord slapped his scaly knee and burst out laughing.

"That was a good one!" Miko complimented, pointing her fingers and raising her thumbs.

"Oh! You think so?" Discord asked tentatively.

"Yeah!"

"OK, well, try this!" Discord snapped his lion paw, and two floating pies manifested besides. He took one and threw into Miko's face, covering it in pie filling.

"Hey!" Miko yelled, removing the filling from her eyes and mouth. The other pie floated from Discord's side and into her hands.

"_Your~tuurrn_!" he sang-sung. Miko's growl turned to a smile, arched her arm and flung the pastry at Discord's face. He clapped and cheered. "Hahahah! Yes! You, little girl, have got spirit."

"About the ecosystem changes..." Optimus reminded them.

"Oh, Come on, Optimus! He said it himself, he just want to have fun!" Miko cried out.

Optimus looked at Miko, then adjusted his gaze towards Discord, who put his claws together and blinked his eyes pleadingly.

Optimus sighed and shook his head. "Ratchet?"

Ratchet put his hand to his chin. "I...guess it'd be OK, as long it's in moderation..."

"Very well. You may have some more...'fun' for a short while we figure out what to do with you." Optimus permitted.

Miko pumped her fist. "_Yyyess_!"

Discord smirked and tapped his claws together. "Thank you...Optimus, was it? Hahahahahheeheehoooo..."

* * *

**Author's Notes for 'A Dog And A Pony Show'**

**'Holy cow' juice, you see what I did there? I'M FUNNY.**

**_...Right_? D:**

**_Counters for Act II_**

**_Throwdowns: 3  
_**

**_'Aw scrap's: 2  
_**

_********__ Tempting Fate: 2_  



	4. Fall Weather Friends

******Disclaimer: Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work intended for entertainment and speculative purpose only.**

**Friendship Is Magic : Prime by Darkryt Orbinautz**

**Act 2:**

**Chapter 4: Fall Weather Friends  
**

* * *

"So," Discord started, "What should we do first, eh?"

The Autobots and humans looked at each other.

"Well..." Bulkhead started.

A ringing began to emit from June's watch.

"That'll have to wait! Time for school!" The green 'Bot added, him, Bumblebee and Arcee turning into their alt-modes.

Discord scratched his head. "You have schools here too?"

"Sadly." Miko pouted, walking down the platform to enter her Autobot other. "Don't suppose you know how to get out of it, would'ja?"

"Miko!" Bulkhead and June snapped.

"Well, hang on now, as it happens, I _do _know a few tricks that could probably keep you and your friends out of it for the day..." Discord interrupted with a naughty smile.

"All right, well-" Miko started, interrupted by Optimus' shoulder wheels spinning and screeching in disapproval. "I'm afraid these 'tricks' of yours will need to find some _other _use." His voice was tinted with contempt.

Discord threw his claws up in surrender, "OK." Miko huffed and resumed her pace.

"Oh, wait!" June called out with a raised hand towards the Autobots. "I need to get back to-"

Exhaust fumes covered the three Autobots as they left.

"...Work."

"I would be willing to 'give a you a lift' as it were, Miss Darby." Optimus offered, stepping forward.

"Really?" June asked hopefully, "I mean, you don't have important...Autobot leader-y stuff to do?"

Optimus turned to Ratchet, who clicked on the control computer a few times before shaking his head.

"That would be a 'no'." Optimus assured June before transforming to his truck mode.

June climbed into Optimus, and the truck cab sped out the base's doors.

"...Hang on." Ratchet remarked just after Optimus had gone. "The scanners are still showing excessive geographic disturbance..." He cast an accusing look towards Discord.

Discord looked offened and put a claw to his chest. "Who, me?"

"Well, the implication so far has been that _you _control the chocolate rain and related...changes. Perhaps you could...undo them until we can get you your own...'playground'?"

Discord's scruffy eyebrow raised. "'Playground, you say?"

"Yes." Ratchet awnsered, "Somewhere you can have as much dangerous fun as you want without endangering innocents and threating to rock the Earth back into it's pre-Big Bang state."

Discord stared.

"...Big Bang?...Creation of the universe?...14 million psi of energy expanding in a huge explosion to create the planets?"

Discord nodded, "Ah, OK, so 'rocking the Earth to it's pre-Big Bang state' would _un create _it..."

"And then there'd be nowhere for you to play."

Discord flicked his tail mischievously, "Well, maybe not _nowhere _but definitely _less_ 'wheres'."

"Mh-hm."

Discord snapped his eagle claw, and the disruptions on the radar disappeared. Ratchet observed the scans and nodded, "Thank you...Now I can fix some broke equipment of mine." Ratchet walked away from the computer and walked over to what Discord could only assume was a medical table with a bunch of Autobot's tools on it.

Discord looked on as Ratchet proceded to bang a tool against another one in ways the Draconequus couldn't be bothered to understand.

Discord cast a curious gaze towards the computer. He checked to make sure the Autobot wasn't looking, then started typing on it quietly with his claws. The screen produced a menu of sorts in green letters.

_OPTIONS_

_SETTINGS_

_FILES_

_COMMANDS_

_CONTROLS_

_SCANNERS_

The Draconequus was confused as what diffrence there could be between 'Commands' and 'Controls', but proceded to click 'Files'.

_RECORDS_

_REPORTS_

_PERSONNEL_

He clicked 'Personnel' and profiles of all the Autobots appeared, each with 'Attributes' 'Abilities' and 'Other Notes'

Ratchet heard Discord 'Hmmmm...' at something, and turned around to offer help, "What's the matter-Gyah! You're not supposed to on there!"

Discord drew his claws from the keyboard. "I'm sorry, no one told me that..." He said, waving his lizard foot in the air sadly and looking down.

Ratchet signed. Discord seemed genuinely upset at his misbehavior. "I...see. Just...let me make sure you didn't break something." He approached the keyboard and began working. "Hmm...profiles?" He questioned, looking at the Draconequus.

"Well, yeah! I...I wanted to know more about you and your 'Bot buddies.'" Discord told him, which wasn't _technically _a lie.

"All right, but remember; We Autobots are a secret task force. Robots in disguise. Don't tell anyone about anything you've learned here."

"I shall not speak of you to anypon- any_one_. You have my word." Discord said, holding his claw up in salute.

Ratchet smiled and gave Discord a pat on the back.

If only he could see the Draconequus' true colors.

* * *

Optimus pulled up in front of the hospital doors and June stepped out of him. "Thanks again for the ride."

"_You're welcome_." Optimus beeped back.

"Hey June!" The co-worker from earlier called out. "The candy buildings all disappeared! How'd you do that?"

June shrugged and smile. "It was...just something my son's science fiction club did that... went out of control."

The co-worker patted her on the back. "I hope you gave them a stern talking to!"

"Don't worry, I did!" June assured him, casting a nervous glance back towards her pick-up.

Optimus flashed one of his headlights on and off in a kind of 'winking' manner and drove off.

* * *

Miko sat with her hand clasped to her cheek as her teacher droned on about whatever it was.

She slammed her hands on her desk and widened her eyes when she saw Discord waving at her outside the classroom window. The teacher and classmates all turned their heads to her.

"You have something to say, Miko?" The teacher asked sternly.

"...No." Miko answered unsure.

"Hmm." The teacher grunted and resumed her droning.

Suddenly, everything and everybody except her turned grey and stopped...like time just got frozen.

White light flashed, and Discord was suddenly inside the classroom, "Hey!" he greeted.

"Discord? Here to bust me out of here?" Miko asked with hope.

"Oh, no, no...You saw how upset Optimus got." He shook his head before raising it up. "But! I did not come here without purpose. After school's out, bring Jack and Raf...here." He said, handing Miko a map with an 'X' on a certain spot. "We're gonna play a nice little game." He snapped his talon and disappeared in another flash of white light, color slowly returning into the classroom and it's contents.

* * *

"So, then what you do?" Bulkhead asked while making small talk with Bumblebee and Arcee in the parking lot.

"Then I slammed my back-wheel into his chest and tore a hole in it." Arcee awnsered, recounting the different ways that she had disposed of a Vehicon.

_Deeb-Deeba-Bop-Wheeuuuop._

"I don't know about that, 'Bee..." Arcee responded. "Seems a tad overkill."

_Beep-Beep-Click._ The yellow car admitted.

A flash of white light reflected off their metal frames and Discord floated over them.

"Discord! What are you doing out here? You should be hiding!" Arcee yelled.

"Oh, _psshaw_...I'll go right back to hiding in your dusty base after I invite you to little game with you and your human friends over...here!" He dropped another map like the one he gave Miko onto Bumblebee's hood. "Nice little secluded area where we can play without hurting anyone."

"Errr...O...K?" Bulkhead answered for the group.

"_Vunderbar_!" Discord exclaimed before disappearing in another flash of white light.

"...Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?" Arcee questioned.

"Oh yeah."

_Beeeeeeep_!

"...And we're gonna do it anyway, aren't we?"

"Ya got that right."

* * *

The fading rays of the sunset were cast upon the cave far on the other side of town that Discord had marked.

Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead drove up to the front of it. To their surprise, Jack, Miko, and Raf were there.

"Kids, what are you doing here?" Arcee questioned transforming into robot mode.  
"Discord invited us to some sort of... game here." Jack answered.

"Really? He invited us here too!" Bulkhead exclaimed.

_Beep-Beep-Beeeeeeee!_

"What do you mean 'Arcee totally called it', Bee?" Raf asked.

Before Bumblebee could awnser, the horn of a truck was heard, as was the sputtering of a white car.

"Jack's Mom? Optimus?" Miko exclaimed as the addressed parties stepped forward. "Did Discord invite you here too?"

"Yes." They both awnsered.

"Ratchet and Agent Fowler were invited, but had other commitments." Optimus added.

Discord appeared before them in his trademark flash. "Ahhh! You're all here! Wonderful, simply wonderful!"

Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee ready their blaster weapons. "All right, Discord! Spill, what are you playing at?"

Discord looked offended, huffed, and puffed his lips out cutely. "W-what? You think I'm up to something?...J-just because I have a different, _ailen_ way of having 'fun'? I safety-proofed this cave for you and us to all play in! I even carved little name plates for the entrance you were supposed to take!"

The assembled crowd took a second look at the cave, which, sure enough, had different sized entrances with painted wood planks hanging over them, each plank having Autobot's and human's name drawn o n them in different ways fitting to which it was referring to. For example, the one with Miko's name was messy and hard to make out, while the Bumblebee's name was blocky and looked it been spew out by a typewriter, and so on.

"But if you don't want to play, I guess that's fine...I'll just go rain chocolate on some...I don't know, bunnies or something." Discord said, sounding very hurt.

"Arcee?" Optimus asked.

Arcee lowered her head and weapons. "I had a gut feeling. I...I guess I jumped to a conclusion...I'm sorry, Discord. We'll play...whatever this is."

"You will?" Discord exclaimed, suddenly sounding very upbeat. "OK. Here the basic rules: There are entrances, one for each you, each leading to appropriate sized paths with identically obstacles. I've rearranged the caves so that they each end in the same spot. Whoever gets to the middle first wins!"

Optimus raised an eyebrow, "Discord? I mean no disrespect, but I do not see a cave with your name on it..."

"Well, that's because _I_ will be...commentating." Discord answered.

"All right then. Any concerns, June?" Optimus asked. June shrugged, "I suppose if he's...'safety-proofed' it..."

"Kids?"

Jack, Miko, and Raf all shook their heads.

"Autobots...game on!" Optimus shouted, having a new desire to avoid disrespecting Discord's customs. The assembled groups split up and all entered the cave entrance designated for them.

Once they all had done so, Discord put his lion paw to his head and let out an uproarious laugh, "AAAAHAHAHAHAHA! That was _way _too easy!...Now, time to break them. One. By. One. HAHAAAA!"

* * *

_01. Mother Knows Best_

Hello! I'm June Darby. I'm a nurse at the Jasper Hospital, and the mother of Jack Darby. I recently learned that my son is involved with a ailen military task force called the Autobots who are here to defend the Earth from another, less ethical, ailen military task force called the Decepticons. A short time after finding, Raf, one of Jack's friends, got infected with Dark Energon. I was...not happy with the Autobots for what I felt was their lack-luster supervision. But I changed my tune quickly enough after one of them -Bumblebee- saved me and Raf from a tornado made by the awakening of a Chaos God in the Earth's core...Ehehheh.

I was torn when Jack went out to Cybertron to restore Optimus Prime's memories. On one hand, my son was going to ailen planet where all sorts of hostile life could be hiding!...On the other hand, Jack, like almost every child ever born, wanted to go into space when he was young. Who would I be to tell him no?...A concerned parent, I would think! I was overjoyed when he came back through the bridge successfully. I admit, I still have some lingering hostilities toward Ratchet for how close Raf came to dy-...you know, on his watch. I may not have been as sensitive as I could've been to him about it yesterday.

Oh yeah, and now I'm walking through a cave-maze thing as part of an ailen game made by this living chimera named 'Discord'. Huh. Anyways, the objective is apparently to get the center before the others...

I've run into a dead end! But...Discord said he safety-proofed it. Was he lying? Maybe there's a key or secret passage somewhere...he _did_ say there'd be obstacles.

I put my hand to my chin as I looked around for a hint...

"Feeling stumped, June?"

I whip around to see Discord sitting on a stalagmite.

"Well...yes." I reply. "You said you safety-proofed the cave, so I presume there's some way of advancing.."

He nods his head. "Mh-hm. I won't be helping you -that would be cheating- but I'd like to chat for a bit."

"Oh?" I ask as I climb an loose rock, "About?"

"Your son." He tells me. I looked at him confused.

"It's hard, isn't it? Him being surrounded by people who can take care of him _so much better_ then you can..."

"Well, sometimes it is..." I admit. "There's just as many thing I can still do for Jack they can't...not- not that I think that's a bad quality in them! It's just there some things that only a mother can do."

"Oh? _Like_?"

I flinch. He really put emphasis on that last word...almost...almost like he's mad.

"Well, uh...provide emotional support...help with his homework, and translate girl-to-boy language for him."

"Actually, I think the Autobots can do all that well enough!" he counters.

"Um...Uh...I can bake cookies!" Not the best defense. Most mothers learn how to do that.

Discord's eyebrow raised. "I think they could do that...with some trial-and-error."

I was about to argue that I _already _know how to back them, but he continued speaking.

"And the number one thing...When do you let Jack have any _real _fun?"

I gasp. I'd never keep Jack from having fun!...Unless he had some work to do, or promises to maintain...or if involved dangerous behavior or...

Wow.

I guess I _don't _let him have any fun, do I?

But...But I only want I think is best!

"Poor, Poor June." Discord lamented, "Of course, I think we should go back to the cookies here. You _can _give Jack cookies, couldn't you? You said you knew how to make them!"

"Yeeeaahhh..." Where was he going with this?

"So you know-you _know _how to make them, so you can give them...If you _didn't_ know how to make them, you couldn't give them, right?"

I wanted to say I could buy some from a bakery shop, but there was something keeping me from it...like a grip on my mouth that was somehow telling me to comply...I nod my head. "What are you saying?" the words coming from my mouth...it almost feels like someone's _jerking _them from it.

"What I'm _saying,_ June, is..." he got up from his stalagmite seat and walked over to me, started to coiling his waist around my hips in a manner reminiscent of a snake. He pulls my chin and makes me look him the eye.

"Do you know what fun is?"

Of course I know what fun is! Fun is riding down a slide! Playing a video game! Sharing a laugh after you spill something on someone!

Something strange happening distracted me from my ranting. Discord's eyes...they suddenly turned into pink, blue and yellow swirls. I open my mouth to ask if he's OK, but nothing comes out. Those eyes...that spiraling pattern...it's so...very...

_Preeeeeeeeeeety..._

I...feel something...like grey is washing over my body...But...grey is a color, isn't it?

Oh, pffft! That. That is exactly what Discord was talking about!

Discord disappears in a flash of white light. Heh. White light. Classic!

Heeey! The dead end's cleared up now! Time to boogie on out of here and have some fun with Jack and myself!

* * *

Optimus Prime stopped in his section of the tunnel suddenly, having an unease settling into his joints. He did a double-take to make sure he didn't miss something behind him.

"...Something is very wrong."

He drew up his faceplate, shifted his arms into a blaster and blade each and resumed his walk at much slower, more cautious pace, his weapons ready and primed.

* * *

_ One Jump Ahead_

'Sup? I'm Miko! I'm a member of a carefully selected group of humans tasked to keep watch on the Autobots!

...OK, so _maybe _I'm not carefully selected...and maybe me and the others (Jack and Raf) found out about them by accident and then they took us into their care in case the Decepticons decided to go after us as...what was it? 'Person's of Interest'? Whatever.

I'm actually a exchange student here in Nevada. I'm from Toyko! Don't get me wrong, I like my host parents and all, but an afternoon riding around in a big, green, transformering jeep who can shrug off impacts that would _utterly annihilate_ most Earth-vehicles of the same type is hard to resist for a thrill-seeking girl like me!

Yeah, OK, maybe I don't take the Decepticons seriously and get me and Jack and Raf in all sorts of trouble but..._Come on_! Don't you watch the old black-and-white cartoons? The bad guys _never _win!

Maybe I got us stuck in an ailen waship full of goons who'd kills us without a second thought.

Maybe I got us stuck in a alternate dimension with a Terrorcon -That's what we call undead Decepticons, By the way.

Maybe I almost suffocated in a mining cavern because I was too eager to explore without checking the safety...

C'mon! You heard Discord, didn'tcha? The danger is half the fun!

OK, Yes. I...I almost...I..._no I'm not crying_! Almost lost my best friend because my 'organic' touch made some sort of data cylinder go on the freak-out and download the data into his head, and then it began to override his personality...

Everything worked out in the end, OK! Stop grilling me about it!

Oh yeah! Me and the boys are playing some sort of competition race in a cave, per instruction of this Draco...Drago...Drake...named Discord! And let me tell, that dude's 'Fun' is off the walls! I mean, chocolate rain? You don't see that everyday!

Oh yeah, and that time-stop he did in my classroom was pretty freaky...but _come on_! Can you _IMAGINE _how good that'd be for pranking? (And, more to the point, getting away with it.)

...A dead end! OH COME ON!

Better start digging...There's...nowhere to dig. It's a solid wall. AAGGGGH This means I'm gonna lose the game! And let me tell you, Miko Nakadai does NOT lose!

Uhf!

"Hahahahaha!"

Discord! What's he laughing at?

"It is just _too much _fun watching you struggle like that!"

"Yeah, well, maybe you could _help_ me with this?"

"Not yet, sweetie, I want to talk with you."

Talk? I don't need talk, I need some winning!

"All the 'Bots hate you, don't they, Miko?" he asks.

What? I get on their nerves and do stupid stuff, but that doesn't mean they hate me!...Does it?

"No! Well, maybe Ratchet, but he's grumpy anyway."

"Hmmm..." Discord notes. He shifts his eyes up and down, like he's trying to X-ray me. "But didn't you almost make Bulkhead lose his mind forever?"

How does he know about that? He wasn't reading my thoughts, was he?

"Also...you almost got you, Jack, and Raf killed on the Decepticon's ship...the _Nemesis_, was it? Another time, you ran into a _abandoned_ mine, against all warnings and caution."

...All true.

"Everyone would prefer if you'd just stay in school or base, as the case may be."

That's true, too...

"But _no_! Not Miko! Staying there would be boring! Staying _safe _would be _boring_!"

"Well, Yeah!" I agree.

"But June and Ratchet would certainly appreciate it more if you did that...so tell me, Miko..." He starts floating and circling around me, like a shark.

"Would you rather be safe and appreciated, or having fun and be disrespected?" His get all wonky and colorful, and I find myself lost in them.

I feel like the color is draining out of me. I see now. No one likes an adventurous girl skipping off on her own. From now on, I won't do anything without permission.

Is...is it OK for me to go through the cave now, with the dead end being gone and all?

* * *

_03. Following The Leader_

Hello! I'm Jack Darby. I have the..._unique _privilege of being involved with the workings of a secret strike force code-named as 'The Autobots'. Sometimes I don't like it, that I'll admit. I would prefer to get to know Sierra better, but then I would put her -and myself- at risk from the Decepticons. Miko dismisses them as Saturday morning cartoon villians, but me and Raf know better. They're vicous and relentless, and the Autobots are the only thing standing between us and the 'Cons cannons.

Not to say we're useless drags. We help the Autobots with human-Autobot relations. When it comes up, at least.

We helped saved the 'Bots from Scraplets. Nasty little buggers who eat metal which, we were, of course safe from, being organic and metal-less and all.

Optimus entrusted me with the Key to Vector Sigma, and I made sure that he made the right choice.

Playing some sort of alien game in a carefully-sculpted cave, courtesy of Discord.

A dead end. Looks like a bunch of stalactite and stalagmite making some sort of closed maw.

Ehhh,...Discord did say there'd be obstacles, didn't he?

Oh hey there! Speak the name of demons, and they shall come!

"Hey Discord! What's up?" I say, pointing my fingers and raising my thumbs.

"Oh nothing much, just making sure all the participants are having _fun_." he tells me.

As if one cue, a hole large enough for human adult pops in the side of the tunnel. My mom comes out, but...something's wrong. She's grey. And I don't mean she got a funny-color tan. It looks like someone put her in an old black-and-white film, and her colors didn't come back when they pulled her out.

"Mom?"

She waves and smiles. "Hi Jack! Don't mind me!"

"Oh dear...I think I may have given your lovely mom here a sickness. Perhaps I should've let Ratchet check me out before deciding to play with you all." Discord tells me.

"So wait, you give my mom a sickness? How?"

"Well, I'm not sure." Discord says with concern. "But I _think _humans are not used to the micro bacteria Dracoequii carry on their person."

Knowing that, I back away from him.

"I'd recommend doing what she wants until me and Ratchet chat up enough to locate the problem." he continues.

I wanted to question the logic in following the whims of a sick person, but I couldn't for some reason. I walked over to my mom.

"Mom? Are you...stable? Do you need me to do anything?"

She looks at me dreamily, like she's not all there. She laughs. "Oh Jack! I just want you to have some fun! I don't any need watching after! I'm a big girl!"

"You heard her, Jack...have some _Fun!_" Discord growls. I feel a sharp bird-like finger on my back. My vision swims with colors. I can feel facts blurring in my head, like everything I know is a lie...

My vision goes back to normal.

I remember all the times Miko suggested tagging along with the 'Bots on their missions...

And I can't believe that I always try to talk her out of it! I mean, C'mon! I remember that time I rescued Miko from Starscream using a drill-tank! That was _awesome_, man!

Heeeeeey! Dead end's gone! Sweeeet.

* * *

Discord observed Raf as the boy hammered a hole in the dead end of his tunnel with a loose rock. Boy was determined...

To the point that Discord concluded letting the others break him would be more fun.

Just like he did with Twilight Sparkle.

With that, he teleported out to start on the Autobots.

* * *

_04. Savages_

Hey, how are ya? I'm good, myself. Name's Bulkhead. Autobot. Ex-Wrecker. Wrecker's were an Autobot strike team outside the normal chain of command, but I left it to join up with Optimus Prime's crew. That bot is a real hero. I can't begin to count the number of times he's saved someone, even if that someone didn't deserve saving.

My 'assigned' human is Miko Nakadai. Which is good for her, because she needs that extra protection my bulky hide gives with the way she runs around. Sometimes I get irritated with her, but I still love her. Wouldn't save her from the 'Cons if I didn't.

...Actually, now that I think about, the fact that she knows I'll always back her up _might _be contributing to the problem.

Sometimes I break stuff. Stuff Ratchet needed. But sometimes it helps, like that time I pounded an Energon Havester Starscream was using into a useless heap.

I admit, I'm not always the sparkiest plug in the outlet. Don't need to be.

Playing a alien game that this Discord dude is introducing us to. Seems kinda fishy, but Optimus always not to reject something because it's different. Walking though a tunnel oh hey oh! That'd make a nice song, wouldn't it? Walking through the tunnnneeeeel Oh eh oh!

A dead end. Huh. I _could _just smash it with my fist, but that could cause disruptions in the cave and cause to come down on someone...Eeeeeh...hmm.

_Pitter-pitter_.

What's that? ...It's a little girl! Looks like Sierra's friend, but a little younger then Raf. Oh...What do I do? I can't just transform and get out of here, because then she'll still be here...Got it! I'll tell I'm someone else's imaginary friend and get her out of here.

"Hey there, little gal! It's all right, don't be afraid...I'm just an imaginary friend!"

She hides behind a rock cluster. "No you're not..."

"Uh...beg pardon?"

"You're a big monster..."

What? I may be a bunch of negative stuff, but a _monster _is NOT one of them!

"Ahaha...and what makes you think I'm a monster, little dude?"

"You're big. You're green. And you live in a cave." She tells me.

...OK. Since she doesn't know that I _don't _live in this cave, I can see what she means.

"OK...point taken...But I'm not a monster! Monsters aren't gentle. I can be gentle. I can show you!" I offer my finger to her, and she runs away.

"Aaaah! You're trying to eat me!"

All right, so maybe that wasn't the best idea.

"Come back! I'm sorry! I won't hurt you, I swear!" I yell, throwing my hands in the air. She trips and lands on her stomach, she flipped herself over onto her back and began trying to limp further away from me.

"I won't eat you! Really!"

She looks up at me, and her eyes turn all colorful and swirly...what? What is going onnnnnnnnnn...

Ugggggggghh...my head...Um...what was I doing? Oh yeah! Trying to play this game some Discord of whatever had us play. Stupid Optimus with his accepting 'cultural differences' or whatever. Gah! Softie.

There was a dead end in my way, wasn't there? Well, Mr. Dead end, time to show you that you _do not _get in BULKHEAD's way!

...It's gone. Good! Probably ran to momma like good little wimp!

* * *

_05. You've Got A Friend In Me_

_Beep-Beep-Beeeeeeeep!_

Oh. Sorry. Sometimes I forget that just because I can't _talk _normally, doesn't I have to _think _abnormally.

I'm Bumblebee, Autobot Scout. _Excitecar _Champion. Rafael's best friend.

My voice-box was injured back on Cybertron. Mocked Megatron for a while, he decided to keep me from mocking anyone ever again. Sometimes I get a 'phatom limb' feeling of the scratches Megatron's claws left on my neck, despite the fact Ratchet's polished and buffed them out.

Do I miss talking? No! I can still talk, just fine. I just have some limits to the choice of my language, is all.

Out of all the Autobots, I get along with others the best. What can I say? I'm a Scout and a Spy. Spies know social enginering...But I would never use my knowledge to manipulate people...Unless their Decepticons. Those guys are always lying and double-talking other...'Do unto others as you would have done unto you' and all that.

Playing this weird game courtesy of this weird critter with a mule's head and feathery snake's body. Run into a dead end. Mmm...time to start digging! I adjusted my foot and grind the wheel in it to the ground, slowly but surely making progress.

"Oh, don't tell me you intend to do _that _the whole time."

Ah, Discord. You know, he said he'd be 'commentating' but everything's been silently. Guess he finally got something to say.

" _You gonna commentate or what?_" I ask in my usual series of beeps and dial tones.

"Oh. You pitiful thing. Unable to speak your mind at all..."

That's not true. I can speak just fine. It's listening that's the problem.

"Oh! Guess I forgot. You _can _talk...just not very well." He says. I'm starting to dislike this guy.

"You know, I have a proposition for you..." He snaps his talon and a present box appears out of thin air.

"If you open this box, you'll have a working voicebox again...but you'll have to quit the game...and leave your friends."

Leave my friends! You...you...

THWUMP

Ha!

PFOOM

Don't like my fists up your cheeks much, do ya? I didn't like the suggestion of leaving my friends!

Just as I'm about to give him a third punch, he catches my fist with his lion paw and snarls.

"Fine. We'll do this the _hard way_!" he slams his balled-up talon on top of my head and teleports away. Pink, yellow and blue fills up my vision. Facts in my head begin mixing up like a poorly made smoothie...Everything I know starts to seem like a lie. But it's not! Optimus Prime is the Leader of the Autobots and one of the greatest guys I know! He's...he's..Optimus...Agh! Names are starting to escape me! Arcee! Bulkhead! Optimus! Ratchet! HELP ME! Somebody, anybody please! Miko...Jack...June...someone...wait, wait there was one name...one more important then the others..

Raf! _Raf! _RAFAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!

I need to get out of here! There's this kid...name has an 'R' and an 'A' in it...Ralph? Rita? Oh whatever! The important thing is that I need to be sure he's OK!

AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH MY HEEAAAAAAAAD!

Ahhhhhhhg...eh...huh? Where am I? ...I was playing an alien game...and then I was having difficulty remembering something...something important...Ah, well, can't be that important if I can't remember it, right, _eh?_

A hole opens in the cave wall, and The Big O steps out of it. He wants to know why I'm grey, _eh_? Well, listen here _Captain America_! Just because YOU'RE not grey, don't go taking it out guys who ARE! _EH_?

That aside, Boss-bot, let's ice this Popsicle joint, _eh?_

* * *

_06. Out There_

Good afternoon...I'm Arcee, Autobot Sniper and Jack's partner. I'm not much of a talker.

My flaws? I'm impulsive and leap before I look. I guess I take after my departed partners like that.

No. I don't want to talk about it.

I'm also sensitive and touchy and I could keep a better lid on my temper. I'm quick to judge too.

I worry about Jack's safety, as does his mom. Strangely, me and her don't disagree often, despite our otherwise opposing viewpoints on things.

But! I'm reliable and loyal. I'd rather die trying to rescue them then abandon someone I care about.

Invited to play a game made this Discord guy...I don't like it. Still don't, but Optimus wants us to accept everyone, so I guess I'll do it for him.

Dead end in the cave.

I walk back a few steps and transform into my motorbike mode, meaning to charge through the wall and pound a hole in it.

"Vreeeeooooo! Vroom, vroom!" Someone mocks me. I adjust my kickstand and turn to see Discord coiled around a stalactite, hanging upside down to look at me.

"Really, Arcee? You're not even gonna _try _to look for a secret switch or anything?" He chides.

"Nnnope!" I tell him.

"All right, then! I like your style, straight and to the point!" He compliments me.

"Heh, yeaah...deception is the Decepticons forte." I agree, starting back up my engine.

"Jack's quite the man, isn't he?"

My engine stops. Why does he care about my relationship with Jack?

"...Yes. Yes, he is."

"He walks you home...he lets you go first (though considering the difference in your shoe size...) during walks...In fact, I heard he rescued Miko from a Decepticon using one of their own drill tanks AND blew up your archnemesis' ship with camping supplies.

"Well, her ship had a Energon leak..." I comment offhandedly.

"In face, I'd wager he won't need you to protect him anymore soon..."

What? No! He needs me!

"What are you talking about?"

"I've heard Agent Fowler talking about a new special training regime for the troops specifically designed with combating the Decepticons in mind...and I've noticed Fowler and Jack spending a lot of time together recently..." Discord tells me with a sly smile on his mouth.

"So!" I snap, a litle louder then I ment to.

"I'd imagine that if this new regime gets the 'OK' from the higher ups, then they'll be _eager _to have Jack join, seeing as he got so much first-hand experience."

This should make me happy. Jack, no longer needing my constant supervision? No longer having Autobot relations interfere with his personal life?...But it doesn't. Something seems wrong...A human operation, no matter how great and well-funded and well-staffed, wouldn't be able to handle the Decepticons. Not by themselves. We would've left the planet if it could.

"And then there's that lovely Sierra girl...She and Jack have something of an unfounded attraction...I'd imagine that would make you a little jealous."

Me? Jealous? ME? Of course not! I'm not Jack's girlfriend, I'm his guardian!

"You don't want him to leave you... do you, Arcee?"

For some reason, I can't give an honest answer. I wouldn't mind him and I separating if he could be safe from 'Cons...but he can't. Not right now.

On the other, he and I have grown together...facing near-death situations will do that to people.

Then, all of a sudden, I stop. It feels like someone just my brain in ice, and drained my body of all it's fuel. I feel paralized. Discord slides off his post and floats over to me, touching my left handlebar with his eagle claw. I get dizzy. My vision becomes full of pink and yellow, then turns grey. Discord teleports out before I totally regain my bearings...what was I doing?

Jack! I need to find Jack. I can't stand being separated from My Jack.

Hang on sweetie! I'm coming for you!

* * *

Raf slowly walked into a section of the cave that looked like it had multiple entrances. Like all the tunnels lead to here. It was soon made clear that they did as Miko, Jack and June all entered from other entrances (or exits, as the case may be.) The Autobots were not far behind.

"Optimus?" Raf asked nervously, adjusting his glasses. "Why's everyone so.."

"Grey?" The Prime responded, casting a look towards the irate Bulkhead.

Raf nodded, totally freaked out over how touchy-feely Arcee was getting with Jack.

Discord teleported into the epicenter of the room.

"Well, good to see you've all made it! The winner is Raf by the merest second! I do hope you all enjoyed the game, and look forward to my next one!"

"Discord, wait." Optimus interjected. "Everyone's grey."

The Dracoequus looked at Optimus bemusedly. "So?"

"They were not like that prior to playing your game."

Discord floated onto his back and wrapped his arms behind his head. "You think I had something to do with it?" He asked with a smirk.

"I don't think..." Optimus Prime answered.

He grabbed the Discord by the head with his hand and pinned the Draconequus against a cave wall.

"I know." Optimus added. He raised his free hand and converted back to it's blade form and slammed it right by Discord's head.

"Now talk! What did you do to my men and the humans?" Optimus Prime snarled.

Discord just smirked calmly. "Simple, my dear Optimus; I made them see easier paths in life."

Optimus Prime looked unconvinced.

"I will ask only once...Undo what you've done to them, please. I beseech you." Optimus Prime asked.

Discord retained his smirk. "No."

Optimus Prime let out a battle cry and raised his sword to decapitate Discord with it, but the Draconequus was quick on the draw and snapped his talons, teleporting Optimus Prime and Rafael out of the cave.

* * *

"Ooooof..." Raf groaned, barely managing to stand. "Optimus?...Are you OK?"

The Autobot Leader got to his knees. "Fine, Rafael." Optimus froze. "Though I fear that may not be the case much longer."

Raf was gonna ask what Optimus meant, but he looked around and saw Discord floating in front of them with devilishly wide smile on his face...

The purple-lit walls of an Energon mining facility and...

A horde of dumbfounded Vehicons staring directly at Optimus and himself.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I _want _to say that I came up with Discorded Autobots before anyone else...**

**BUT I'M TOO LAZY TO CHECK AGGGH.**

**In fact, I'd wager _someone _THOUGHT of it before I did, but _I _PUBLISHED before they did.**

_**Anyways...**_

**Hope the perspective flipping isn't too jarring.**

**I tried to emulate Alex Warlorn's writing style for this chapter. I read said writing, and it seemed like the best way to achieve me goals for this chapter; **

**A) Recreate the labyrinth confrontation from Discord's debut episode.**

**B) Make it creepy.**

**I would appreciate somepony (Or 'Bot) telling me if I'd been successful in these goals, and whether my 'emulation' was of any merit.**

**_Counters for Act II_**

**_Throwdowns: 4  
_**

**_'Aw scrap's: 3  
_**

**_ Tempting Fate: 3  
_**


	5. Suited For Success

******Disclaimer: Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work intended for entertainment and speculative purpose only.**

**Friendship Is Magic : Prime by Darkryt Orbinautzn**

**Act 2:  
**

**Chapter 5: Suited For Success**

* * *

"Eeep." Raf squeaked.

"Uhm...Optimus Prime, I don't mean to sound rude... but what are you doing with Discord?" A Vehicon asked, stepping forward.

The Prime was silent for a minute, trying to figure the best response.

"Being antagonized."

"Um...All right...Well, we're behind schedule, and, well...we'd be willing to let you and your human leave if you'd stay out of our way." The Vehicon offered.

Optimus bowed, "I thank you for your hospitality."

Discord huffed. "Oh no no no. I can't let you off that easy, see. You're a sore loser, as evidenced by the way you tried to _stab my face_!"

He snapped his talon, and swirls appeared in the center of the Vehicon's visors. They converted their arms to their cannon configurations.

"Rafael!" Optimus yelled, transforming to vehicle mode. Raf quickly climbed inside.

"Fire!" what was presumably the head Vehicon ordered. Purple blaster fire chased after the Autobot Leader as he gunned his way out.

"DRILL!" Raf shouted. There was indeed a drill-tank being piloted into a direct crash-course with Optimus.

Optimus rose his front up and leapt over the drill-tank in a movie-esque display of gymnastics and driving skills. The drill's driver cursed his luck.

A shot hit Optimus' side and sent him skidding out of control, but he regained it before an advantage could be pressed. The Prime smashed through a barricade and finally exited the cave out into an open desert road.

Raf looked at Optimus rear-view mirror. "Optimus...they're chasing!"

Optimus' Ion Blaster popped out of the side of his hood, rotated on it's axis and shot the pursuing Vehicons, dispatching them. Optimus swerved to overcome a checkered slope. Raf gawked at the landscape layout with upside mountains, blue and pink checkered dirt, skyscraper sized card houses and all sorts other weird phenomena.

"Why's everything all twisted and weirdly colored?"

"_I believe it is Discord's power at work._"

"But...why would he do all this?"

"_I do not know his motivations, but given that he lured us to that cave under the pretense of an alien game, drained our fellows of their color, as well as teleported us into the heart of a Decepticon mining __encampment, it seems clear to me that he is, in fact, a villain._"

Raf looked back through the window. "I think we lost them..."

"_Good._" Optimus noted, dodging a lightning bolt from a cotton-candy cloud. "_That means we can focus on finding Discord and putting a stop to this._" A beeping noise came from Optimus' controls. "_Ratchet, this is Optimus Prime, do you copy?_"

Ratchet's voice came in through the comm.

"_Coming in loud and clear, Prime! What's got your pipes out of tune?_"

"Uh...Ratchet?" Raf questioned.

"_It would appear that whatever Discord has done to the others, he has also done to Ratchet. Regardless, we need a GroundBridge._" Optimus answered.

"_One Ground-up Bridge, coming right atcha, daddy-o!_"

The signature green portal materialized in before them, and they went through.

* * *

"Arcee..." Jack grunted as Arcee ran a comb through his head. "This isn't fun."  
"Mmmh, all right." The bike-bot noted, drawing the comb back and crossing her arms. "Go do something fun, as long I can stay close to you."

Jack got up off his the crate Arcee had re-purposed as a chair and ran over to the human dwelling section, "Hey Miko! You wanna play _Excitecar _with me?"

Miko looked up from the couch cautiously. "Do...Do I have permission?" she whimpered.

"You have mine!"

"OK..."

Jack booted up the system and handed Miko a controller, which she took very cautiously.

Ratchet danced in place by the terminal control. Agent Fowler was trying to _flamenco _with June, who giggled at the attention.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead were hiding their corners sulking.

Optimus pulled up into the room, letting Raf before transforming into his robot mode.

"Autobots, we have a situation."

The Prime was ignored.

"Autobots, we have a situation." Optimus Prime repeated, slightly sterner.

The ignoring continued.

"...Why won't they respond to me?" Optimus pondered out loud.

A flash of white light, and Discord was floating in the room again.

"Maybe it's because you're stone-plum boring?" The Dracoequus sneered.

"You! You put right inside a Decepticon-filled cave! Graaaah!" Raf lunged forward the Dracoequus, only to fall down face-first.

"Discord." Optimus turned to him, his voice stern. "Why you willfully put us in harm's way?"

"Well, seeing as you were about to STAB ME..." Discord replied.

"You weren't answering my questions...or my demands."

Discord examined his nails. "Answers? _Answers?_ What use have I, a Spirit of Disharmony, of _Answers_? Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget to mention that?"

Optimus narrowed his eyes and grimaced. "Yes...Yes you did forget to mention that."

"Oh, sorry. I guessed that would've cleared a lotta things up, huh?" Discord said with a callous smile. Optimus continued to leer.

"If you are the Equestrian Spirit of Disharmony, why come to Earth?"

Discord signed, "Oh, you're so very serious, aren't you? You know you remind of? _Celestia_, always with the grimness and the boring and 'That's a pony, Discord, not a cotton ball'. Fine, I'll tell you." Discord coiled himself vertically around Optimus' chest and rose to put them both face-to-face. "See, I used to rule Equestria until Boring Celestia and Dull Luna got together used these magic artifacts called the 'Elements of Harmony' on me, turning me to stone for 1000 years."

"That long, hmm?" Optimus inquired with disinterest.

"Yes that long! The worst part, it was supposed to be Foreveeer! Thankfully for me, those two didn't count the Elements of Harmony changing hooves after a thousand years. The Elements took on new bearings, making all the spells cast by their old ones with them weaken, allowing me to break out and start my reign anew!" He said all this bombastically.

"Oh but Fate is a fickle mistress!" he emphasized this but flicking the radio antennae on Optimus' head, which caused the Autobot Leader to wince. "my renewed reign only lasted so long! I thought I had successfully broken the Element's new bearers to the point that they wouldn't be able to stand against me, but I did not and they returned me to me stone prison!"

"Are you sure that's how it happened, and not that these 'bearers' instead...'fixed' themselves?" Optimus inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"HOWEVER!" Discord announced, disregarding Optimus' inquiries, "Recently, a certain silver robot with a cannon on his arm came to Equestria and started causing all kinds of ponyfeathers, giving me a turbo-charge that let me bust out again! I decided that, rather then trying to take Equestria back _again_, since that worked _so well _the last time I tried it, to hitch a ride with the 'Cons when they bailed."

"And now you are attempting to bring your candy covered chaos to Earth." Optimus concluded.

"Ring-a-ding-dinga-ding! Give the 'bot a candy bar, we have a winner! Nice alliteration, BTW." Discord cheered.

"Of course," Optimus began, "by ...'greying' my men and these humans, you have removed the only things that could keep you from doing so."

"Eeeeyup!" Discord said, clicking his claws together and smiling evilly.

"Very well...But know this, Discord. I, as an Autobot and a Prime, am sworn to defend life and protect the innocent. I will remove your chaos from Earth, even I must sacrifice my spark to do so."

Discord looked Optimus over coyly, "Oh, I don't think so. After you spend some time with your _new-and-improved _Autobots...You'll join them. Oh yes. I broke Twilight Sparkle, I can break you." on that ominous last note, he teleported out.

Optimus looked down dejectedly, wondering how to get out of this situation "He must be stopped..."

"Optimus?" Raf spoke up, "You OK?"

Optimus looked at Raf. "I'm fine, just troubled...Discord seem confident to distressing levels."

"Um..." Raf looked over at the grey Autobots and humans. "Perhaps...I can watch over them while you go think?"

"An excellent idea, Rafael." Optimus saluted and pointed at him as he left, "I'm counting on you."

Raf saluted back then looked over the grey persons now under his watch.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead had engaged in a intense grappling match.

_Beep- Beep-Beeep-Beeep-Ehhhhhhek-wheeeeeeooo-clic-clack-eeeee!_

"What did you say about my motherboard?" Bulkhead snarled and lifted the smaller Autobot up, throwing him across the room.

Raf rubbed his temples. This would be difficult.

* * *

Optimus Prime's footsteps echoed across the hall of the Autobot Outpost. The Autobot Leader's head was tilted in thought. _Mmm...Spirit of Disharmony...Elements of Harmony...Disharmony and Chaos...Let's see...Perhaps the Matrix?...No. Too risky. I remember what happened the last time._

Optimus leaned against the wall, streching his arm out for support and putting his spare hand to his chin. He snapped his fingers as the best course of action became clear to him.

_Megatron! He clearly has experience with Discord. Perhaps he can offer guidance_.

Optimus resolved to ignore the obvious wrongness with that last statement. Transforming into his truck mode, he sped out of the Autobot base and into the once-open desert that was now a junkyard's worth of fused-together candy canes.

After a few hours' worth of driving, Optimus was at a comfortable distance away from the Autobot Base that he felt he could risk contact with Megatron. Beeps erupted from his control panel.

"..._Optimus. I did not expect you to call me on this frequency._" Megatron's voice bounded off Optimus' sound equipment.

"Megatron, I require more information about Discord." Optimus countered, quick and to the point.

"_Ah, information about Discord...well, I don't know much, but I do know that a pony called 'Celestia' fought him off and turned him to stone a eon ago._"

"I already know that Megatron! I need information as to how _I _can defeat him and keep the Earth from his tyranny!"

"_I'm afraid I haven't any, Optimus Prime._"

There was a dial tone from Optimus' panels.

Optimus took in a deep breath and let out a depressed sign. "I see that I must take an alternative approach." He resumed driving, careful not to knock any of the various large card castles over.

* * *

Megatron removed his finger from the radio communication button and turned towards his Decepticons. "It would seem that Discord has gotten significantly more _personal _in his troubling of Optimus Prime...an interesting development, no doubt."

Airachnid observed the scan results on Soundwave's face-screen with a worried look on her face. "Lord Megatron, it would seem that Discord's influence on the Earth is at an all-time high."

Megatron scoffed. "So?"

"At the rate it's going, I believe that he may very well have plans to...conquer Earth."

Megatron and Airachnid exchanged looks. A moment of silence ensued, followed by Megatron laughing and rubbing his claws together.

"AHHAHAHAHA! IF he does so...WHEN he does so, I will be there. Ready and eager to remove his crown from his head. Brutally, if possible."

* * *

Raf tugged on the bottom of June's shirt. "Miss Darby? I don't think jumping off the rail like that is a good idea."

"Oh pish-posh! If not off here, where?" The slightly-deranged nurse responded.

"...Off a trampoline?"

"Ooooo!" June squealed, "That is a WONDROUS idea, Raf! Fowler, my sweet, to me!"

Fowler did indeed come over like a loyal (or rather, love-struck) hound, picking up June up in his arms. "Yes dear?"

"Take me to the nearest trampoline!"

"Your wish is my command." Fowler dashed away with June in his arms, presumably to go find a trampoline.

Raf signed and rubbed his head. He scanned the room over, thankful that, while 'greyed', Ratchet had had the frame of mind to restrain Bumblebee and Bulkhead before they wrecked something. Though Raf questioned the magnetic braces that held the two to the walls. He was also thankful that Jack and Miko merely continued to play their game with each other.

Ratchet observed the geothermal scans on the computer, though in his 'greyed' state, he hadn't the foggiest of their meaning.

"Yo, Raf-man! These funky mathamathics mean something important?" The medic inquired.

Raf covered his ears at the sound of a volcano filled with strawberry milk erupting penetrated the Base's halls. "Nothing we don't already know." He cast an accusing look towards Discord, who was smirking at something. "What are you so happy about?"

Discord merely pointed. Raf turned back to see that Jack had started dancing on the human coffee table. He rushed up the stairs of the platform with his arms out "No, Jack! That's not safe!"

"Ahahahaha!" Discord laughed, wiping a mock-tear from his eye. "You're not quite as good the ponies, but it is sooo fun to watch you run place to place like that!"

Ratchet cast an aside glance towards the two 'Bots affixed to the walls. Though both were spewing insults at each other, they did not seem to be wiggling loose easily.

"So, Raf-man, you mind me busting on outta here to practice a few new moves?"

Raf let Arcee scoop Jack back up into her overbearing embrace and looked at Ratchet with a confused expression. "Uhhh..."

"He means he wants to go out and dance." Discord informed him.

"Yeah, sure! Just don't go too far. I can handle things here."

Ratchet thanked him and left the room. Discord, with a curious expression on his face, slithered through mid-air after him.

Raf looked to see Jack futilely gnawing on Arcee's fingers in a effort to escape.

"...I think."

* * *

Ratchet positioned himself in the hallway where he thought he wouldn't hurt anybody and proceeded to dance like something out of a disco documentary, punctuating his moves with with incredible hammy yells.  
"Hah! Hoo! Hooaaah!"

"Ratchet?"

The medic whipped around to see Discord floating before him. "Oh hey, Mix 'n' Match! What's bogeying down yer pipe?"

"Well, I was wondering about Optimus Prime..." The Dracoequus said innocently,

"Oh? What about him?"

"Well, I've looked through your records and personnel files to see what could be used to brea- I mean, _persuade _you Autobots...t-to my way of thinking, of course." Discord caught himself mid-senteance multiple times.

"Uh-huh... and?"

"Well, I didn't find anything about Optimus' having any weak spots or issues..."

"Oh, that. Yeah. He doesn't have any weaknesses in him."

Discord's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "No weaknesses?"

"Yeah," Ratchet replied, doing a 'Hooooo!' before continuing, "Some of us are a bit weak, some of us are bit slow...not Optimus. He's well-rounded all-around."

"Oooooh! So no _physical _weaknesses?" Discord inquried, a touch of relief in his voice.

"Nope!" Ratchet did a few more moves, which prompted Discord to float away, the conversation over.

"However..."

Discord rotated his head around back to the medic.

"Optimus has a soft spot for humans. If you want to make him go after with a burning heck-rage, then hurting a human is a good way to do it." Ratchet explained.

Discord scratched his chin. "Soft spot for humans, eh?...I can work with that."

The excruciatingly loud blare of a truck's horn filled the room, identifying Optimus as having returned to the premises.

Discord zoomed back to the main control room, where he presumed Optimus to be. The Prime noticed Discord and made an unpleased noise.

"Discord...I thought we would've made it clear that you are no longer welcome within the confines of our compound."

"Eh, so? I've never held much respect for any authority except my own."

Optimus converted his arms to their blaster configurations.

"Again with the weapons! Point those things somewhere else. _I_ have an _offer._"

"An offer?" Optimus inquired with a raised brow.

"An offer?" Raf repeated.

Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee, Jack and Miko made no reply.

"Yes, Optimus Prime. An offer. I believe you remain on Earth to keep the humans from falling to the Decepticons, yes?" Discord reiterated.

"That much is true." Optimus answered warily.

"Well, would you get _off _Earth if someone else was protecting it?"

"Such as?"

"Me!"

Optimus regarded the Dracoequus as though he was crazy.

"Look, I made your men go all wonky. I make the skies and the volcanoes spew chocolate. I _warp reality_. You think I can't handle the Decepticons with that kind of power?"

Optimus turned away from Discord. "I suppose you have a point."

Discord smirked. "If I promise I will use my powers to protect the humans to the fullest extent from the Decepticons AND any other non-human threat, would you let me have free reign over them?"

Raf's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

Optimus looked at Discord with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Mmmh..."

"Look, I've heard about the...'incident' involving Little Raf and June's attempted..excursion of the kids. Wouldn't you want to keep that kind of thing from happening again? _Ever _again?"

"Optimus, don't listen to him!" Raf cried out.

Optimus looked to Raf, then back to Discord. "So...you would take over the humans, but keep them safe from the Decepticons?"

"Yes."

"Optimus, _no!_" Raf exclaimed. But Discord had found a chink in Optimus' mental armor, and his magic was slowly flowing into the Prime, causing Raf's words to be drowned out.

"Very well, Discord. I pass the responsibility of protecting the Earth and it's denizens to you." Optimus saluted and left the room, his colors fading to grey as he did so.

Raf fell to his knees. "Optimus..."

Optimus briefly glanced over his shoulder to look at Raf. "Rafael, why don't you go home and play with your family?...Your _human _family." He resumed walking.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I DID IT! I WON!" Discord laughed.

"Not yet you haven't!"

Discord looked at Raf curiously. "Oh?"

"You may have broke Optimus, but I'll fight you where he left off! I swear!" Raf shouted, jumping up and down in rage.

Discord floated down and put his face in Raf's, the boy backed away instinctively at the large dragon-like snout so close to him.

"You may not have noticed, Little Raf, that I said I'd protect you and your fellow humans from the Decepticons and 'other extraterrestral threats'. I never said that _I _wouldn't hurt them _myself_."

Raf grimaced at the implication Discord was making. Discord drew himself away from Raf and resumed his full height. "Buuuut...I _do _need someone in their right mind to play with. You know, keep me on my game and feeling sharp. On that note..." Discord swooped Raf up in his claws. "Let's see what _wondrous _chaos can be wreaked on Jasper, hmmm?" Discord teleported out of the base with Raf in tow.

Raf found himself in the middle of a street and gawked at the transformations Discord had made, with houses being made of molten rock, vending machines spitting out candy bars like machine guns, and cars with frog legs jumping about. Raf thought he also might've seen a bus whose tires had been replaced by turtle flippers.

Raf looked at Discord with grim determination. "You won't get away with this! I'll stop you, somehow! I don't know how, but somehow!"

Discord smirked at Raf with bemusement and began walking away. "Come to your schoolyard when you've figured it out! I'll be waaaaitiiing!" He ended his speech in sing-song and teleported out.

Raf dodged a loose a flying candy bar in his direction and pounded his fist. "I need my laptop!"

A strange idea struck the child.

"Hey Discord! I don't know if you can hear me...but if you can, I need my laptop and left back it the the Base!" he yelled. A flash of white light, and Raf's laptop floated in mid-air for him to grab at his leisure. "Excellent!"

* * *

"Hyuh! Nya!" Breakdown screamed, hiding behind whatever piece of furinture he could to get away from the creeping Airachnid.  
"Come here, Baby. Mama Airachnid won't hurt you." The spider-bot said comfortingly, making a 'come hither' gesture with her fingers.

Megatron walked by the open doorway and peered in. "Airachnid! Breakdown! What are you doing?...and why are you both grey?"

Breakdown and Airachnid turned slightly to address Megatron.  
"I'm only trying to comfort my Baby Breakdown." Airachnid answered.

"And I'M trying to get away from the creepy crawly!" Breakdown exclaimed.

Airachnid shifted to her two-legged mode. "Better?"

Breakdown edged out slightly from his hiding spot. "A little..."

"Yes, Yes, That's it. Come here. Come to mama." Airachnid encouraged.

Breakdown slowly walked over to Airachnid.

"You two still haven't explained why you're grey."

"We 'unno." Breakdown answered, lifting Airachnid onto his large shoulder. Airachnid started patting Breakdown's head and began singing.

_That's it, my dear._

_Don't worry, don't fret,_

_Mommy's here. _

_You'll see that it's true,_

_Families require twooo..._

Megatron made a disgusted noise and left the room. Walking down the hallway, he came across a trio Vehicons, who were also grey and seemed rather casual in his presence. The Decepticon Lord resolved to visit the Decepticons' medic.

"Knock Out! Do you know anything about the...'greyness' that has begun to befall our troops?"

Knock Out turned from his tablet to Megatron, showing he also been 'infected' with the 'greyness'. "No, Lord Megatron. Sorry."

Megatron grumbled. At this rate, it seemed he was the only unaffected.

"Say, have you cleaned your Fusion Cannon recently?"

Megatron glared angrily at Knock Out. "Yes... I always keep my weapons in the finest condition."

"OK, Good! A clogged Cannon is a recipe for disaster."

Megatron's glare turned into a confused one. "What."

"Oh! Also! You've lubricated your joints recently? Brushed your fangs?"

"...I will be leaving you now, Doctor." Megatron proceeded to stomp away from the medic's door.

"As your doctor, it's natural for me to be concerned with your health!" Knock Out called.

Megatron ignored his shouts and pressed on, intent on finding Soundwave. He did just that soon enough, finding the Communications Officer dancing with some Vehicons on the ship's control bridge. Much to Megatron's displeasure, Soundwave had also been 'greyed'.

"Soundwave. I require your assistance."

Soundwave continued dancing.

"Soundwave..." Megatron growled in a low voice.

Soundwave continued dancing, cheered on by the Vehicons.

"_Soundwave_!"

The Vehicons got the heck out of dodge and Soundwave rushed to bow to his lord.

"_Master, I am so sorry._" Soundwave's heavily-processed voice said with regret.

Megatron gasped. "You...you spoke. You haven't spoke since we first came to Earth."

Soundwave scratched his chin, "_Yes. That is true. Regardless, I presume you wish to know the cause of the Decepticons recent...desaturation in color?_"

"You know me so well, Soundwave." Megatron answered.

"_Indeed I do, Lord Megatron. Please be patient for a moment._" Soundwave stood up, beeps and dial tones emitting from his head. "_Oh dear..._"  
"What? What is it, Soundwave?"

"_It would seem that Discord has proven more a threat then we first thought. All evidence indicates __that the desaturation is related to his powers spreading across the surface of the Earth_."

"Continue."

"_When desaturated, it seems one is extra-vulnerable to whatever Discord's power projects, and acts as not themselves._"

Megatron narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't that mean you would not be loyal to me...and by extension, mean you would take steps to eredicate me? How do I know that you're not lying to me?...or, is that what you WANT me to think in order to-"  
"_Lord Megatron, please. You're overthinking things. Even tainted by Discord, I will be loyal to you...always and forever._"

Megatron gaped for a moment.

"S-Soundwave...I-I'm touched."

They shared a tender, quiet moment.

"...Regardless." Megatron stated, recovering from his moment of weakness. "If this is Discord's doing, then seems I will be eradicating him sooner then I thought. Come, Soundwave! There is work to be done."

* * *

Jasper's residence carried on with their daily lives, with the odd adjustments here and there Discord had made.

The bundle of people walking on the sidewalk ignored Raf. stationed by the sidewalk with his laptop on his...well, lap, banged his head against the keyboard. So far, all his searches had yielded nothing.

'How to defeat a Dracoequus', Nothing!

'How to defeat a Spirit of Disharmony', Nothing!

'How to defeat a part-mule, part-eagle, part-lizard, part-bat, part-lion, part-snake'...Well, this one got a hit on a RPG discussion forum, but Raf was pretty sure 'cast 'Thunder-Flare-Frostbolt' didn't apply in this situation.

The boy was interrupted from further despairing by the sound of jet engines. He looked up to see two familiar jets, one thin and blue, the other bulky, alien and silver.

"No!...Not them! NOT NOW!" Raf protested.

"Soundwave, are you sure this is wise?"

"_Rest assured, Lord Megatron. In their decolored states, the humans will write us off as more of Discord's madness._"

"Aaah...excellent!"

The two jets transformed into their robot modes, stomp-landing onto the Jasper concrete below. Megatron scanned around for signs of Discord.

Raf stiffened up, hoping against hope that the Decepticons wouldn't notice him.

Soundwave lightly tapped Megatron's shoulder and pointed. "_Lord Megatron, an human who has __retained his color...and I believe you will find him familiar._"

Megatron adjusted his neck to see who Soundwave was pointing at. "Rafael! Imagine running into you like this!"

Raf immediately got up and began running, dropping his laptop in the process and pushing aside a dog who was walking his owner.

"Hey buddy! Watch where you're going!" The dog cursed at him, but Raf ignored it.

Megatron and Soundwave began pursuit, walking at a mocking leisurely pace towards the fleeing child.

A Lamborghini with overly-long frog legs leapt forward, oblivious to the Decepticon Lord smack-dab in it's trajectory. Said Lord grabbed the car mid-lea[, spun it around and hurled off into the distance.

Raf kept running. Two Decepticons behind, and a hundred humans around him. Yet, not a single one of those humans could help him, no matter how much he begged or screamed.

A vending machine shot some chip bags at Megatron, covering his collar with the powder after the bags exploded on him. Soundwave spouted his tentacles and used them to dissemble the machine for it's insolence.

Raf kept running. He saw a manhole cover. A manhole cover, that's perfect! He could climb inside and the 'Cons wouldn't be able to get him, even with Soundwave's tentacles!

He tripped over a candy piece and his glasses fell off. He groped around for them, to no avail, only getting fudge concrete all over his hand. He felt something take him off-balance, but he continued trying to grip his glasses.

"Why are you doing that flailing around?" A dark voice questioned.

"It's my glasses! I can't see without them!"

"Mmm...Soundwave?"

Soundwave used his tentacle to carefully pick Raf's glasses off the ground and cleaned them of their fudgy spill. With precision, he put them back on the boy's face.

"Thank you, sir!" Raf said. It took him a moment to realize that Megatron was holding up by the scruff of his collar.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**Raf's in trouble now, ain't he?**

**So anyways...DISCORDED DECEPTICONS! Two-for-one, baby! **

**I do so hope I managed to convey that Discord had hit Optimus' 'sweet spot' correctly, and that no one thinks The Boss-Bot is OOC. **

**_Counters for Act II_**

**_Throwdowns: 4  
_**

**_'Aw scrap's: 5  
_**

**_ Tempting Fate: 4  
_**


	6. Friendship Is Magic

******Disclaimer: Both Transformers and My Little Pony are the properties of Hasbro. This is a non-profit work intended for entertainment and speculative purpose only.**

**Friendship Is Magic : Prime by Darkryt Orbinautz**

**Act 2:**

**Chapter 6: Friendship Is Magic**

* * *

"Rafael." Megatron greeted. "If I recall correctly, you were the one who attempted to keep me from my body when my mind was downloaded into Bumbleebee's spare databanks."

"Yeah...something like that." Raf replied uneasily.

"I would like to ask you a question, Rafael. Why, out of all the humans around, YOU are the only to still retain his colors?

Raf adjusted his glasses. "Well, I _think _it's because I didn't let Discord get to me, but also because Discord said he wanted someone sane opposing him to keep him 'sharp'."

"Ahhh...I am familiar with that mindset." Megatron put his spare claw to his chin, as if in reminisce. "It is an arrogant one meant for egostroking that makes you vulnerable."

"So you had it once?" Raf questioned, a little snarkier then he meant to.

"Yes." Megatron replied absentmindedly before realizing what he said.. "But what does that matter to you?"

"Nothing." Raf responded, trying to avert Megatron's wrath.

"Baah. I'm wasting my time on you. I have a Draconequus to decapitate." Megatron raised his arm to hurl Raf off in the distance, against his cries of "Wait!"

Raf went flying, but only went so far before a cotton-candy cloud floated down and caught him. Discord appeared in his signuture flash of white light.

"Ah, sorry, Megatron, but I can't let you do that." The Draconequus informed him.

Megatron shifted his eyes between Discord and Raf. "I have no real _concern _for the humans, but why can't you?"

"Cut a deal with Optimus Prime. If I let you hurt a human -ANY human- then the deal's off and Optimus is free to come after me."

"..._What_! ?" Megatron shouted.

Discord signed. "Woooww...Some 'Cons you just have to explain EVERYTHING, don'tch you? All right, so I promised Optimus Prime I'd protect the humans from you Decepticons so that he could go and take a load off."

Megatron looked around. "This is protection?" He took particular note of a troupe of Gingerbread men with Gingerbread muskets shooting Gingerbread bullets around, beaning various passersby in the head.

"And Optimus Prime..._allows _this abuse?" Megatron inquired with a very doubtful gaze towards Discord.

"Weeeellll...I _might _have left out the tiiiiiny detail that I would be enforcing my own tyranny...and...used some freaky Voodoo mind-magic on when he was feeling doubtful."

"Optimus Prime...doubtful?" Megatron questioned, "Are you telling me..._Optimus Prime gave in?_"

Discord pus his talon to his lips. "Yeah pretty much."

Megatron took a few steps backwards in denial. "I...I don't believe it. Soundwave! Stay here and monitor the situation while I go out for confirmation of this...this... _blasphemy_!" Megatron ran off in the opposite direction before transforming to his Cybertronian jet alt-mode.

"Well, I'm going to be off as well. You two _play nice_!" Discord snarled at Soundwave and Raf, teleporting out. The cotton-candy cloud brought Raf face-to-face with Soundwave.

"Ummm...So, I...I'm fighting Discord too." Raf explained. "When Megatron gets back, you don't think he would be open to an...alliance?"

"_With a human?_"

"Just a thought..." Raf muttered, adjusting himself on the cloud.

Soundwave took a glance behind him to check if Megatron was there.

"_Rafael, was it?_"

Raf tilted his head.

"Yes...it was."

"_I am not...unfamiliar with the practice of going against my Master's wishes in order appease his desires. Until his return, I would be willing to work with you to see if 'solution' for this chaos can be found._"

"Really?"

"_Yes._"

"OK...ideas?"

"_Allow me to access my internal records._" dial tones beeped out from Soundwave's head. Raf noticed a loading bar appear on Soundwave's screen-face.

* * *

Megatron rocketed through the chaotic skies in search of his hated nemesis, dodging lightning bolts and flying pies, flying chip bags, flying Gingerbread bullets and all other flying sorts of flying scrap.

_Where is he? _

On but one of the many chocolate hill, Arcee was lying on her back with her eyes closed and a sleeping Jack in her arms. She heard some noise and tilted one of her eye's open to see Megatron flying overhead. "Oh...it's just Megatron...MEGATRON?"

her yelled caused Jack to rise up groggily and rub his eyes. "Arcee-e-e?" A yawn extended his pronunciation, "What's going on?"

"C'mon, darling, we gotta get outta here!" Arcee awnsered, transforming into her bike mode. Jack climbed into the seat and let Arcee take the wheel.

Megatron attention we drawn to the loud motorcycle engine noise below. _The one called Arcee...perhaps I can use her to lure Prime out. _The Decepticon Leader increased his thrust and began firing upon the bike. Explosions of fudge and caramel filled the air as Arcee dodged the blasts.

"This doesn't seem like fun at all!" Jack yelled.

"Don't worry, dear! I won't let him hurt you." Arcee assured him.

Megatron swerved himself around and transformed, landing in front of Arcee, who hit her brakes in response.

"Don't hurt My Jack, please!" Arcee begged.

Megatron narrowed his eyes. "I don't want 'Your Jack'... I want Optimus Prime!"

"_I'm sorry, but I don't have him._"

Megatron raised his cannon and charged it. "Then go GET him!"

Jack tried to hide behind Arcee's windsheild, which didn't really work. Arcee let out a submissive whimper and peddled back. "_Arcee to base. There's this big silver mech who wants to see Optimus...it's kinda urgent_."

A GroundBridge portal opened up behind the motorcycle, who backed into as the grey from of Optimus Prime stepped out.

"You wanted to see me, dude?" Optimus greeted as the portal closed.

Megatron raised his eyebrow, "'Dude'?...Never mind. Yes I did! Discord's terror is running rampant in the human's streets!"

Optimus stared blankly. "...O.K?"

"O.K? O.K? _O.K_? Chocolate rain is falling from the sky! Car-frog...THINGIES are leaping from street to street! Volcanoes are spewing candy and stuff! PIES AND PIGS ARE FLYING EVERYWHERE! THAT'S...THAT'S JUST _O.K TO YOU?_"

The 'greyed' Optimus was only slightly disturbed by Megatron's heaving breath.

"...Yeah? Am I, like, not supposed to be?"

"NO!" Megatron shouted. "You're supposed to be THE PRIME! The Leader of the Autobots! Defender of the innocent and protector of the weak!"

"...So?"

"So you should be out there stopping Discord's insanity!"

Optimus rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Really? I...kinda don't wanna to bother."

"'_Don't wanna bother?_'"

"Eeenope! I rather hang out with Ratchet back at the base...Besides, Discord said he would take care of the humans."

"Uh-huh." Megatron noted. "Surely, Optimus, you realize that _turning their world upside on it's head _is NOT taking care of them?"

Optimus waved his hand. "Whatev." He turned to walk away. "The humans are Discord's responsibility now, not mine."

Optimus stumbled from the blow suddenly striking his back. He turned back to Megatron. "Hey man, what gives?"

"You can always be relied on to see reason, Optimus Prime...yet you can not see the fact that Discord has tricked you and drained your emotion...so I will _beat that fact into you_!" He raised his fist and pounded Optimus in the face.

* * *

Raf entertained himself while Soundwave searched his records by making sculptures out of his new cotton-candy cloud. What he had so far was a suspended Autobot and Decepticon symbol each.

PING. Raf snapped to attention.

"_Rafael, observe this footage of the Decepticons time on Discord's homeworld._" Soundwave instructed. His screen-face showed static before showing a recording.

_Breakdown leapt on Discord with his hammer, knocking the Dracoequus into Airachnid's claws. The spider-bot proceeded to throw Discord to Knock Out, who caught him in the prongs of his Energon prod._

"_Notice the bodily reaction to the prod._" Soundwave said.

Raf adjusted his glasses. "What? What is it?...The electricity!"

Soundwave nodded. "_Yeeeess...I would imagine that with his body parts being all from multiple animals, his brain's signals must adjust from their bodies standards, and as such, an electric discharge would be enough to quickly dispatch him._"

"But...where would we get any?" Raf questioned.

Soundwave leaned towards Raf. "_Look down._"

Raf did so, "What? The grey humans? The fudge streets? How does any of that help?"

"_Your cloud, Rafael._"

"WHAT cloud?"  
"_The cloud you were making sculptures out of?_"

Raf adjusted himself, feeling the plush of the cotton candy cloud that seemed content to be under his control. "Oh...yeah. This cloud...you know, that just might work!"

"_How ironic, that the tool Discord used to save you from my master would be the tool that you use to save Earth from him. Now, where would he be?_"

"He said he'd be waiting at the school building for when I was ready to challenge him."

Soundwave clapped his hands together twice, transformed and jetted off into the sky before coming back down.

"_Err...where is the school again?_"

"This waAAAAAY!" Raf pointed, trying to pilot his cloud, only for it to start zooming back and forth across town.

"_Hmmmm_..._this may take a while._" Soundwave observed.

* * *

Megatron reared up another punch, which Optimus attempted to block with his arm. But under Discord's influence, Optimus lacked his trademark fighting spirit, and Megatron pushed through the barricade and connected his fist with Optimus' head, knocking the Prime off his feet and on to his back.

Optimus put his finger to his head. "Ratchet! I need some help over here!"

"_Well, why do you WANT me to do?_"

"I don't know! Send Bulkhead or something!"

"..._That seems ill-advised. But..._"

Another GroundBridge portal opened some distance away from the warring leaders, with blue blaster fire emergin from it.

"! It'll feel good to kick your bucket, Buckethead!"

_Beeep-click-click-whhiirrreeep!_

Megatron turned his attention to the two Autobots firing on him as they ran towards him. He readied his blade and deflected a few blasts with it.

"Bulkhead and Bumblebee...rushing to save Optimus from me. How quaint, that you would stay loyal to your leader even as disharmony overtakes the Earth."

"Who said anything about being loyal?" Bulkhead scoffed, "We just want to punch some ugly faces in! Right, 'Bee?"

Bumblebee replied with an affirmative beep and jumped up to punch Megatron, only for the Decepticon to belt him aside and send him crashing into Optimus, who had been attempting to flee.

Megatron admired the dogpile he had made, and chuckled darkly to himself. "Some things...never change."

"Your face won't be one of those things much longer!"

Megatron turned to the charging Bulkhead, who was charging at him with a raised arm-mace. Megatron blocked Bulkhead's mace with his sword, and punched him in the head. Bulkhead shook his head to clear away the disorientation and punched Megatron back.

"Yyyrrraah!" Megatron yelled, uppercutting Bulkhead in the gut. The hulking robots then did some back-and-forth between them, Megatron eventually being victorious by slamming Bulkhead's head with the brunt of his arm, causing the Autobot to pass out and fall over. His oppenent defeated, Megatron turned back around to see the alt-modes of Bumblebee and Optimus Prime speeding away.

"Noooo..." Megatron snarled, transforming into jet mode and rocketing after them.

_Beeeeeeep!_

"_I see him, Bumblebee!_" Optimus retorted. A blast from Megatron sent Bumblebee skidding away and another shot made the Urbana 500 Autobot topple over.

Seeing his bodyguard disabled, Optimus hit his brakes and transformed to his robot mode. Megatron did the same, unsheating his blade once more.

"Dude...why can't we all just get along, maaan?" Optimus whined.

"Because _I don't like you._" Megatron snarled, firing a shot from his cannon.

Optimus raised his arms to block it, to limited success.  
"Please! I, like, don't have any beef with you, dude!"

Megatron charged at Optimus and cut The Prime's chest vertically with his sword, Energon beginning to spew from it.

"Fight back!" Megatron snarled, raising his cannonless arm, "_Fight back, damn you_!" he punched Optimus, knocking the Autobot Leader down once more. Megatron pinned him down by placing a foot on his chest. Lightning flashed from the candy clouds as Megatron raised his blade.

Optimus closed his eyes in preparation of his Spark's extinction...which strangly didn't come. He opened them see the tip of Megatron's blade mere inches from his face, and Megatron wearing a sorely disappointed expression.

"So it is true..." Megatron withdrew his sword back into his arm and walked off and away from Optimus somberly. "Discord truly has broken you..." he turned back to Optimus.

"_I_ will save the humans, Optimus Prime...but _only_ as a _side-effect_ of asserting my superiority over that _disgusting hybrid Discord!_" Megatron transformed back into his jet mode and took off.

Optimus groped his way back to his feet, "Autobots...let's get you repaired and go play a game, huh?"

_Beeeeep..._

"Yeah, sure..." Bulkhead grumbled, limping over to his leader.

Optimus put his finger to his head, "Ratchet?"

"_On it, Big Man!_"

A GroundBridge portal opened up near them and they went through it, returning to the base's halls.

"Sooo..." Optimus drawled, "_Excitecar_?"

"Nah, I'm gonna terrorize that little kid's remote-control cars." Bulkhead declined, stomping off. Bumblebee let out a few beep and walked with Bulkhead.

"Maybe Ratchet will be up for it." Optimus muttered to himself, though the words of that deranged silver mech were ringing in the back of his mind...

* * *

Raf and Soundwave floated tensely and suspiciously over Jasper's airways, the human having since gotten the loosest semblance of to how to pilot a cloud.

"The school should be right...here?" Raf questioned. Discord had turned the school into a giant, circular lavendar platform with a sparkling six-point star insignia on top of it. In the center of the star was a pointy black and red throne with a cartoony monster face sculpted into it's back. The throne was the perfect fit for Discord.

"Uh...Discord? I'm here and ready!" Raf announced nervously, with Soundwave tensing up behind him.

Discord appeared in the throne in his trademark white flash. "Ahhh! So, Little Raf, what do you have to challege me with?"

"This cloud here that you 'gave' me!" Raf announced, gesturing to his cotton-candy platform.

Discord raised one of his scruffy eyebrows. "...Really?"

"Yes! Soundwave, give me a push!...please." Raf asked. Soundwave obliged and used one of his tentacles to push the cloud over Discord's head. Raf jumped on the cloud with force, ejecting a lightning bolt from it that struck Discord, sending a surge through his body and charring it.

"I..." A caugh interrupted the Draconequus, "Applaud you, Little Raf. There was a quite ingenious move on your part...and a error on mine." Discord snapped his talon, and the cloud Raf was riding dissipated, sending the human down onto the platform.

"But now that I know not to do that, you will no longer have such an advantage!" Discord growled and proceded to get off his throne and advance towards Raf menacingly.

THUM-THUM.

"_I cannot let you harm the human, Discord! If you do, then the Autobots will blame ME when this mess is over, and I can't have an enraged Bumblebee tearing apart the _Nemesis _to find me._" Soundwave growled, tentacles at the ready.

Discord looked at Soundwave disbelievingly. "Riiiiight..."

Raf had taken the 45 seconds the Discord's and Soundwave's conversation had taken to crawl away and hide by the side of the platform's bottom.

Discord noticed the lack of a human at his feet. Using his magic to clear away the soot on his body, he turned his back-and-forth and sniffed. "Oh Rafael...You think you can hide from me so easily! That's cute." Before Discord could use his magic to drag Raf back to him, the roar of a jet engine interrupted his focous.

Soundwave looked up slightly. "_Megatron returns._"

Indeed, The Decepticon Lord soared overhead and swooped down, transforming into his robot mode in the process.

"DISCORD! I've no desire to save the humans from you...but Earth is MY TERRITORY. NOBODY GETS TO CONQUER IT BUT ME!" Megatron bellowed.

Discord scratched his chin. "Mmm...Gonna have to disagree with ya on that, Megs...because as you can see, I have clearly taken Jasper and the surrounding state over."

"_I know_." Megatron hissed. He lunged at Discord and punched him in the face. The Draconequus stumbled from the impact before narrowing his eyes.

"So that's the way you want to play, eh? I can do that."

Discord grew to an immense size, large enough to stand face-to-face with Megatron and charged at the aforementioned Decepticon with a balled-up talon. Megatron caught the talon-fist and shoved it off him, numbing the appendage slightly. Discord shook it to restart the blood flow. The Draconequus and Decepticon Lord exchanged punches of various marital styles. Megatron shook things up a bit sidestepping Discord and kicking him in the back, knocking Discord to his knees. Megatron pinned Discord by the neck with his foot. Megatron unveiled his arm-blade and rose it up dramatically.

"Now, Discord, Draconequus...return to _The Pit _where you belong!" Megatron brought his blade down, only for Discord to disperse into cotton-candy mist just before impact, causing Megatron's blade to attach into stab the platform and cause a crack. He had some difficulty getting it back, but eventually succeeded.

"Where'd he go?..." Megatron muttered, looking every angle but the one Discord was at.

The pink mist slowly crawled up over to Soundwave's feet and began rising up, eventually crawling into the Decepticons innards. Sparks erupted from Soundwave's body from the intrusion.

"_AAAAGGGH!_" Soundwave screamed as he fell to his knees, the thump alerting Megatron to his distress.

"Soundwave!" Megatron rushed over to comfort his solider, "What's wrong?"

Soundwave twitched and spasmed until the sparks subsided, eventually ceasing to move completely.

"Soundwave?" Megatron questioned. There were actually notes of desperation and concern in his dark, booming voice.

Soundwave's head tilted up, showing a L.E.D pattern of Discord's face. "_Peek-a-boo._" The Discord-possessed Soundwave proceded to punch Megatron in the face, sending him stumbling.

"You...you-!" Megatron shrieked in incoherent rage.

"I'm a what, Megatron?" Discord's voice taunted before punching Megatron in the face again. Discord proceded to lay into Megatron with Soundwave's fists, legs, and tentacles, smacking the Decepticon Leader about.

"C'mon, Megatron! Fight back!" Discord snapped, punching Megatron in the face a third time, but with a tentacle this time.

"I...I-I can't." Megatron muttered.

The L.E.D Discord's face contorted in confusion. "You were just trying to decapitate me a moment ago! What happened to that fighting spirit?"

Megatron looked at the Discord/Soundwave with an expression of pure despair. "I...I can't hit Soundwave...any other Decepticon possessed by you, I could...but not Soundwave...not my most loyal soilder...not the only Decepticon I would _truly _call...my friend." Megatron closed his eyes and looked away, trying to lessen the pain of being hit by his most trusted confidante.

"Oh, pfft! Gag, again with the _friendship_!" Discord scoffed. "Wha-wha-wha-hey!" he yelled as the L.E.D display of his face began to crack and distort.

"_Lord Megatron..._" Soundwave's heavily-processed voice rasped. "_I said before; I'll say it again. I will ALWAYS be loyal to you. Laserbeak...eject...Operation: Incapacitate._"

The swath of blue removed itself, finally making Soundwave appear completely grey and revealing itself as Laserbeak. The drone proceded to rapid-fire at Soundwave's chest until the Decepticon's body gave out and fell over, unable to do much. The cotton-candy mist exited Soundwave and reconstituted itself into the Draconequus (At his standard size).

Laserbeak look at Soundwave sadly, then to Megatron, who patted him comfortingly on the head.

"You did as he asked, Laserbeak. Now...back to business." Megatron brandished his sword at Discord, who huffed at the gesture.

"Oh Megatron...I don't think you realized just how much I did to you while in Soundwave's body." Discord floated over to Discord and bucked him the face, causing him to fall over with a THUOOMP.

Laserbeak charged up a shot from his lasers, but Discord disabled him by smothering him with a cotton-candy cloud from the sky.

"Oooogg..." Megatron groaned, trying to get back up, only to fall back down.

* * *

The score counter on the left-side of the screen went up as Optimus beat Ratchet in the game for a fifth time.

"Good game, Optimus!" Ratchet complimented.

"Thanks for the compliment." Optimus responded.

Bulkhead raised his arms menacingly at Raf's dormant RC cars.

In the training room, Bumblebee punched some invisible pest which were likely a result of his imangination.

Arcee stroked Jack's hair lovingly, while Miko stay huddled up in a corner, too scared to do anything without permission.

Some 8-bit music announced the game Ratchet and Optimus were playing had run out of options for tracks and cars.

"Well, Optimus, we've play every varition of the game there is." Ratchet uneuthsedly announced. "Maybe Raf left some other game around?" The medic suggested.

Optims looked around the base for signs of Raf. "Where is that scamp anyway?"

"He left with that Discord fellow..." Ratchet answered boredly.

Optimus 'hmmmed' and got up from his sitting place and began to walk around the base and looked sadly over at Bumblebee. "Rafael...and you used to enjoy playing this game, didn't you?"

Bumblebee ignored him.

Optimus paced back and forth a bit. "Actually, while we're on it, were are Miss Darby and Agent Fowler?"

"Last I heard, they were looking for a trampoline." Ratchet offered.

Optimus 'hmmmed' again and looked over the room, a human-sized book eventually catching his eye. He walked over and picked it up. "What's this?"

"My sketchbook." Miko answered from her hiding place.

Optimus regard the book with interest. "May I...look through it, Miko?"

"Yes! Of course! Whatever you want, big guy!" Miko yelled panicked.

Optimus gently flipped his the book opened with the tips of his fingers.

The sketchbook showed various pictures of Miko in all the times that she had been under fire from a Decepticon, each picture with a date.

"These pictures...they show all the troubles you have gotten yourself into...correct, Miko?"

"Yah-huh." The girl whimpered.

_2cd of December, 2010_

_This sketch showed Miko, Jack and Raf hiding on the Decepticon ship while Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee attempted to rescuse the captured Agent Fowler in another room._

_3rd of December, 2010_

_Miko, to no avail, attempts to use an axe on one of Soundwave's tentacles to keep it from interrupting Raf's hacking of the Texas Radio Dish Array they were trying to use._

_18th of Febuary, 2011_

_Miko, Jack and Raf carefully maneuvered around the infestation of Scraplets to reconnect the GroundBridge power supply._

_4th of March, 2011_

_Miko and Jack clung to each other aboard a train cab as said train speed towards to blown-up track. The page afterwards showing Optimus stopping the train with by blocking it with his body._

_11th of March, 2011_

_A big blue Decepticon -Breakdown- hurling a dilapidated Greek colum at Miko, with Bulkhead heroically leaping in the way to intercept. _

_14th of May, 2011_

_Miko, Raf and Jack ran desperately in the 'Shadowzone' attempting to get away from the zombified Decepticon known as Skyquake._

_16th of July, 2011_

_Inside a cavern, Miko sat on her back and cried as Starscream menaced Bulkhead, who was holding a boulder that would've crushed them all if he didn't keep it aloft._

_7th of August, 2011_

_Miko despaired over a comatose Bulkhead, the recovery of whom was in question at the time of drawing._

The words of the deranged silver mech...of _Megatron _echoed in Optimus' mind.

_You are the Prime...defender of the innocent...protector of the weak._

Optimus' gaze lingered over the book's contents for a while before he tenderly set it down.

"Bumblebee...activate the GroundBridge." Optimus instructed.

_Beep-beep-Beeeeeeeep-eeep!_

Optimus looked at Bumblebee angrily. "What did you just say to me?"

Bumblebee repeated himself.

Optimus stomped towards Bumblebee, who suddenly felt an aura of power and authority emanting from the mech. Bumblebee shook in very real fear as the larger mech proceeded to shadow him.

"You would say that, Bumblebee...to your Commander?"

Bumblebee shook his arms back-and-forth and beeped out a denial of having said anything,

Optimus pointed to the control lever with a raised finger. "Bumblebee...The GroundBridge."

Bumblebee saluted and rushed to pull the activation lever for his leader.

_Beep-beep-wheeeoo! _Bumblebee saluted again.

Optimus stepped through the GroundBridge.

* * *

Discord kicked and lashed at Megatron's body, taking a moment to savor his victory and kicking his opponent while he was down all at once..

"Urrrrrhg..." Megatron groaned, "Knock that off and _finish me_, already."

Discord floated to Megatron head and leered. "I don't like being given _orders_, Megs...but thankfully for you, I happen to like that idea." Discord snapped his talon and a candy cane axe appeared in his lion paw.

Raf quietly climbed back up the edge of the platform and gasped at the sight he saw.

"Ah, Little Raf!" Discord greeted, "You're just in time to see me behead the Decepticon Lord!" The Draconequus stood on Megatron's chest and raised the axe dramatically.

"Oh, how Lady Luck's favorite changes so fickle!" Discord lampshaded before laughing triumphantly.

A beam of blue energy shot the axe out of Discord's claw.

"Indeed." A stern, wise, old voice agreed.

Raf, Megatron and Discord all looked over to the source of the blast, and a crimson and dark blue form stepped out a GroundBridge portal behind the throne.

"Optimus!" Raf cheered.

Optimus Prime turned to Raf and nodded before turning his gaze back towards Discord and raising his face-plate. "Discord! I have seen through your ruse, and will tolerate your treachery and deceit _no more_!"

Discord signed and floated over to in front of Optimus chest. "Well...let's hear it! The speech about believing in your friends or trusting people around you or whatever it is you think can beat me."

Optimus raised his fist. "Speech _this._" He shot his fist forward, slamming into Discord's face with such intensity that Discord's snaggletooth ejected from his gums and landed on the platform below.

Discord attempted to rub his sore mouth, but Optimus unleashed a barrage of punches upon him, intent on keeping the Draconequus from catching his breath.

"Yah! Rrrt! Nyaaa!" Optimus yelled as he punched Discord in the cheek, stomach and face.

Discord eventually managed to snap his talon and teleport a distance away from Optimus, but Megatron recovered, got up and grabbed him by the back and proceded to brutally tear off the patch of flesh Discord's wings were attached, earning a howl of pain from the chimera. Megatron then pounded him in the same patch, with Optimus charging up and uppercutting him at the same time. Discord huffed and puffed from the furious smackdown he was reciveing.

Megatron and Optimus then walked over to opposite sides of the Draconequus, and raised their armblades. The two Leaders jumped and twirled around, spinning their blades over Discord's head. Megatron's blade reducing Discord's antler to a stub, Optimus' reducing his horn to the same.

"YAAAAAAH!" Discord protested. His eagle-claw shone with magic power. He attempted to touch Optimus with, but the Autobot grabbed it by the wrist and proceded to bend it backwards.

Discord's eyes widened at the forceful manipulation his limb. "No. No. What are you doing? No. NOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

"Geological conditions read normal." Ratchet observed on the Base's moniters. "Weather...normal."

"Sooo...that means that everything is back to normal?" Miko questioned.  
"As well as everyone." Jack added, pulling Miko into a bearhug. "Everyone's got their colors back and are acting like themselves again...though I think mom and Fowler are gonna be avoiding each other for a while."

"Great!" Miko yelled, shoving Jack away "However, I have one question...how are you all gonna explain this to the government?"

"Do not worry, Miko." Optimus anwsered. "I persuaded Discord to use his powers to wipe the minds of everyone involved, except you, us, and the Decepticons."

"Awesome!" Miko cheered, before a realization struck her. "_How_ did you do that?"

Optimus smiled mischeviously. "Let's just say I...'touched' him."

The Autobots and three humans exchanged glances at the vague meaning of Optimus' words.

* * *

Within some otherwise unnoticable cavern, the colorless, wingless Discord sat on a folding lounge with a book and reading glasses.

"It sure was nice of that Optimus chap to give a cavern all to myself like this."

He heard footsteps. Strange. That Optimus chap said this cavern was deserted...did he lie?

Black cables whipped and entangled the Draconequus, who looked at them with concern.

"Well...this is unexpected."

The black cables began to pump electricity through him, eventually knocking him out and sending tumbling off his chair. Three men in full-body suits wearing oranges goggles walked over to the unconcious body.

One of them pulled a walkie-talkie and activated it. "MECH-1 to Silas. We've discovered a strange, chimeric creature...your orders?"

The walkie-talkie was abuzz with radio static before a reply came.

"_Bring it in._"

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

In the royal streets of Canterlot the group of white royal stallions tasked with the fanfare of prestigous events were slowly falling out of tune.

"Oy! What's the problem?" The conducter asked, leering through the group for anything that might've been hampering performance. He pointed to an out-of-breath colt. "You! You're trying too hard. Take five."

The out-of-breath colt saluted and muttered a thanks before sitting down.

A elevated light blue platform a huge crowd of ponies were gathered was the subject of much attention, for Celestia and Luna themselves were it on, in addition a thing covered in a white tarp, and Twilight Sparkle's gang dressed in skin-tight blue suits with fishbowl-like helmets over their heads.

"Attention, my little ponies!" Celestia announced in her authoritve voice. "As you know, we were recently invaded by the shapeshifters known as 'Decepticons', and though that crisis has since been averted, another has risen to it's place. For you see, during the chaos and doubt caused by the Decepticons during their brief stay, Discord, the Spirit of Disharmony, escaped. After the most through searching, we came to the conclusion that Discord had taken off-world with the Decepticons after they left."

The assembled crowd exchanged murmurs and whispers. One filly in particular -Scootaloo- rose a hoof.

"If he's with the 'Cons, then what's the concern to us?"

Some older ponies agreed the filly's assessment.

"The concern is that I cannot sleep at night knowing one my most hat- disliked foes is out there, spreading his chaos to unaware beings who have only the slightest notion of what they are dealing with!" Celestia snapped. "As such, after much study and testing..." Celestia glance apologetically to a scientest mare whose face and mane were black with soot. "We have replicated the Decepticon's ship and rescaled it for pony useage."

A few royal scientest ponies walked over to the tarp and tore it off, revealing, indeed, a replica of the _Nemesis _that was pony-sized and pink, with Celestia's Cutie Mark tampographed on the side.

"Twilight Sparkle and her couragous friends will depart into the unknown with the Elements of Harmony in pursuit of Discord and return with his frozen stature...unless anypony objects?" Celestia glanced over the crowd, particularly the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the Apple Family, Rarity's and Twilight's parents, and Angel Bunny. None of whom said much.

"Uuuff...I hate to be picky, but do we have wear _blue _suits?" Rarity questioned. "I don't look good in blue."

"Don't worry, Rarity! You're dressed like a dream!" Sweetie Belle assured her fasion-concious sister.

Rarity smiled at Sweetie Belle and smile, content in that knowledge.

Celestia approached Twilight. "Twilight Sparkle, is there anything you or your friends would like to say before you depart?"

Twilight smiled and saluted at her mentor. "Only that we won't let you down, Princess!"

Celestia nodded and brought her horn to the shoulders of each Element bearing in a fashion resembling knighting.

Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie all boared the ship with the Element's in two. The assembled crowd cheered and whooped and stomped in encouragement.

The roar of the ship's engines drowned out their joyous cries as the ship began and upward descent into the atmosphere.

"My big sister is going into space!" Sweetie Belle boasted.

"So's mine." Applebloom countered.

"...Oh yeah."

"You can do it, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo muttered to herself.

The ship disappeared from the skies completely...

* * *

_To Be Continued In_

_Friendship: Prime: Act III_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**During typing, in the fight between Discorded Bulkhead and Megatron, I spelled Megatron as 'Megatrib'. What.**

**And THEN during the final confrontation with Discord, I typed 'Megatorn'! COME ON.**

**Annnyways...**

**I would've like to exclude the ponies from this act completely, since Act I had no Autobots, but I thought not showing the ponies' replica until the start of Act III would've disrupted the pacing.  
**

**Oh yeah, and there'll be a few unexpected appearances in Act III, oh yes...**

**_Final tally for Act II_**

**_Throwdowns: 9  
_**

**_'Aw scrap's: 5  
_**

**_ Tempting Fate: 4  
_**


End file.
